Snowing Down The Speed Force
by WritingOpensTheWorld
Summary: Caitlin struggles to deal with Zoom and what has happened between them. But most of all, she struggles to deal with the idea that she has feelings for another speedster, one who always seems to have his heart with another.
1. Prologue

After losing Ronnie, Caitlin had thought that her heart had closed for good. He had been the love of her life, her husband, and she had lost him twice. This time there would be no miracle though, he wasn't coming back.

Then Jay had come along, and something about him had just seemed so familiar and warm, she couldn't help the feelings towards him that began to develop. She felt that hole fill, and she had let her guard down around him. She had let him in. And she had lost him too.

But this time, the pain hadn't hurt her as much. Which had been a surprise. She thought the pain of losing Jay would have tipped her over the edge, made her lose all control she had slowly gained back. Having Jay gone made her realise that her feelings for him were misdirected. She was substituting one speedster for another.

Barry.

He had been there for her, helped her through so much. Been there as a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to her problems. He was someone who she wanted as more than a friend. But there was Iris, and Patty, and then Iris once more. And no matter how she felt, it seemed that there would always be someone else for him, and Caitlin was learning to accept that.

Then she had found out who Jay really was. Who the man she had kissed was.

Then it had gotten worse.

"Jay, stop," she begged, trying her hardest not to let her cheeks flood with tears. "Please," she continued, slowly stepping towards him. "If anything you ever said to me was true, or anything we ever shared was real, then please just let him go," Caitlin continued. He had Barry by the neck, she was watching the man who she thought she had loved kill the man she did. "Please," she continued, reaching a hand out to him. "I know some part of you did care for me, so if you have any humanity left, then please, let him go," the tears were getting harder to hold back. Zoom let him go, tossing him against a wall. Caitlin watched Cisco race over to him, as Harry kept the gun on Zoom. She looked into Zoom's eyes, saw the man she had once cared for so much. He was in there somewhere, but buried so deeply behind the evil stare of Zoom. Then suddenly all she saw was blue lighting, everything else sped by.

She felt them enter the breach. Her eyes remained closed, too scared to look out. Once they left, she felt them slow down, and felt a hand vibrating against her cheek.

" _My love,"_ she heard Zoom say.

And then there was darkness.

 **Just a quick introduction chapter. The story will cover Caitlin as Jay's prisoner, and then her eventual return to Barry and the team, and explore the possibility of a relationship there. Hope you enjoy!**


	2. Chapter One

Caitlin awoke with a sharp breath. Everything around her was bleak, dark. She sat up to find her arms in chains, keeping her Zoom's prisoner. Even if she could escape where could she go? This was not her Earth, and she had no friends here, no one to help her. And Barry had lost his speed, he could not come through the breach to save her.

Barry. He had lost his speed, given it up to that monster. And he had come so close to killing Barry, he had almost chocked all the life out of him. She had to intervene, and now she was paying the price for that. Zoom had taken her, before Harry had a chance to fire the gun.

Why was she here? He wasn't sick anymore, he didn't need a cure for Velocity 9. Barry's speed had healed him, made him faster than ever before. There was nothing more that Caitlin could give him, he had taken it all from her, and from Barry. Did he plan on keeping her here for leverage? Or as a trophy? To prove he had won his twisted, sick war?

Caitlin's train of thought was interrupted by the strong smell of Big Belly Burger. At the end of the bed sat a tray, a large burger and fries sitting on it. It was just within her reach, but it didn't feel right. Hunter could have poisoned it, or drugged it. And she couldn't bring herself to eat, her stomach felt like it was going to throw up already. Perhaps it was Earth 2 being so different to her home. Or perhaps it was the thought that Zoom was holding her prisoner, and able to do whatever he wanted. No one was left to stop him now. She stared down at the food.

" _Okay, this is better than any burger you can get on Earth 2," said Jay, a big smile on his grin after he finished his first bite of the burger._

" _Best burgers, no matter which city you are in, come from Big Belly Burger," Caitlin replied, taking a slightly smaller bite out of hers. Jay laughed, and quickly reached his finger up to her lips. He carefully wiped sauce from the corner, and they both started to laugh._

" _Well, I count myself lucky to have someone to teach me this kind of thing," he replied back, gently kissing her cheek. It had been nice having someone like this. Caitlin had missed it, and finally she hoped this would help her move on from Ronnie. Ever since they had kissed under the mistletoe, her and Jay had been so much closer, and when he had said he was falling in love with her, it had made her realise she was developing stronger feelings for him too. There was something though, something holding her back…._

"You need to eat," she heard Zoom say, his hideous voice echoing in the room. She had bene so deep in thought that she hadn't heard him enter. Maybe she had, and just wanted to ignore it. "Caitlin" he said, and she finally looked up at the monster before her.

"If you want to speak to me then take off that mask," she said back. A streak of blue lighting darted out, before he came back in. Without the costume. Now she could see the face of the man she had once felt so strongly for. And it made her sick.

"Does this make you feel better?" he asked, his face softening as he looked at her.

"Nothing you could ever do would make me feel better," she retorted back. Even speaking to him made her insides turn, she was glad she hadn't touched the burger. The eyes that looked at her, how could she not have seen it? The evil inside of them, how could she have ever cared about them?

"You don't need to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I care too much about you to do that," he said, and she actually almost fell for it. He could say whatever he wanted, but Caitlin wouldn't fall for him. Her heart was closed to him for good.

"You only care about yourself, Hunter," she said, staring directly at him. He seemed to react to his name badly, it clearly brought up bad memories for him. She watched him twitch, a little part of her felt bad. He couldn't control the childhood he had, but that gave him no right to be the monster he was.

"I know that you think I'm a monster, I understand why," he said with a sigh. "But that'll change. Please Cait,"he said.

"Do not call me that!" she interrupted. He had no right to call her that. "Why are you keeping me here? You're cured. You don't need me for anything," she continued, looking at him.

"You're here because I love you. It may take a while but someday you'll start feeling that way about me again too," he said, kneeling down beside her, raising a hand to her cheek. Caitlin instinctually flinched away, she did not want that monster touching her. "Make yourself at home," he said smiling before he vibrated her handcuffs off. "You're going to be here awhile," he finished, before racing out of the room.

Caitlin jumped off the bed, falling to the ground. He couldn't be serious. A monster like him, he wasn't capable of love, of caring. She slowly stood up and looked around the room, her boots clattered against the ground, the only sound for miles. Then there was a tapping, getting stronger and louder the closer she walked. A man in a cell lay on the ground, and she knew it was the man in the iron mask Barry had told her about. She felt so sorry for him, and that she couldn't save him.

"I don't understand," Caitlin said, raising her hands in defeat.

"Well hello doppelganger of mine," said an icy voice, and she turned. It was her, but not. She knew who this was, the stories Cisco had told her. Killer Frost. "What do you know, I can still pull off brunette," she continued, her eyes wide. Caitlin felt dread run through her body, this version of her, the evil ran off her body.

"You're Killer Frost," stuttered Caitlin, stepping towards the glass.

"And you're Caitlin Snow. Your little friend Cisco wouldn't shut up about you. Made you out to be some kind of saint. So tell me, why hide the girls? I mean you've seen our body, right?" Killer Frost taunted back, before they both turned to look at the man knocking. "If I could get my powers to work through this carbine wall, the first thing I would do is shut him up!" she yelled, slamming her fist against the glass.

"Who is he?" Caitlin asked. Barry and Cisco had no idea who he was, they just felt bad for him. He had tried to say something about Jay, but it was easy enough to guess now what he meant.

"Don't know, don't care. But if he's here, Zoom must need something from him," replied Killer Frost, waving her hand in the air.

"So what does Zoom need you for?" quickly asked Caitlin back. Killer Frost had betrayed Zoom, perhaps he just wanted to punish her, extend the time before he killed her.

"That is an excellent question Caity. Now I've been asking myself the same thing. But doesn't matter now, I'm not going to stick around much longer," said Killer Frost, a horrific smile on her face. It scared Caitlin.

"Wait, I thought you said your powers don't work inside this cell," she replied, a part of her knowing where this conversation was heading.

"They don't, you're right. So you are going to help me get out of here," Killer Frost smirked back.

"Why would I help you?" asked Caitlin, she had no reason to, nothing about her wanted to help Killer Frost.

"Listen, honey, there is no way you are making it down that cliff all by yourself. So let's make a deal. You get me out of this box and I'll help you get home. Might even throw in some wardrobe tips for free," she mocked. "So what do you say Caitlin? Do we have a deal?" she asked. Caitlin knew she couldn't say no, Killer Frost was right. So now she needed to figure out how to get Killer Frost out of there.

Killer Frost was within a carbine glass cell. She couldn't use her powers to escape, and the glass wouldn't shatter easily. She needed a way to weaken the glass, but there wasn't much to work with in this prison. If Zoom was anything, he was careful not to leave weapons lying around. Then she saw the generator in the corner. Now the work began.

"Tick, tock. Tick, tock," muttered Killer Frost. She really was beginning to annoy Caitlin like hell.

"I'm going as fast as I can," she replied, her annoyance showing through.

"Well you better go faster, Zoom will be back any minute," muttered Killer Frost.

"I could just leave you in there you know?" Caitlin snapped back. She was done with listening to her, she was the villain in this situation. She had no reason to help her, other than the necessity of this role.

"Ooh. But you want to go home so badly," mocked Killer Frost, knowing she had no choice but to help her.

"So how did this happen to you?" Caitlin asked, at least she could get a profile of her. What had turned her from a med student to Killer Frost?

"Woke up one day, cold, pale, thought I was sick. Turns out it was something else entirely," she replied, ice forming up her arm. The way she looked at her arm, the ice, it looked as though a part of her wished it had never happened.

"You got hit by the dark matter from the particle accelerator explosion?" asked Caitlin, stopping to look at her. The particle accelerator explosion had cause so much harm on both earths. It had created those who used their powers for good, but there always seemed to be one more villain, one worse guy to fight.

"Yes. Right after I flunked out of med school. Had to move back in with my mother….." Killer Frost cursed under her breath, she almost spat the word mother.

"That couldn't have been fun. If she's anything like mine," muttered Caitlin back. One reason she had thrown herself so into the world of science, was to escape from her mother. She had always been so vapid, so rude and condescending. And Caitlin had fought every day to prove she was better than that.

"Why? Is yours a frigid narcissist too?" she asked. That was an understatement.

"Cold as ice," replied Caitlin, realising the irony.

"Yeah. Mom was like that ever since Charlie died," said Killer Frost, looking truly sad.

"Who's Charlie?" Caitlin quickly asked.

"My brother," Killer Frost replied. It seemed strange that this earth she had a brother, whereas on her own she didn't. Then again, one less kid for her mother to torture.

"I never had a brother," whispered Caitlin. A part of her had always wanted a sibling, someone to bond with over her mother. Someone to sit and help with their homework, read to before they went to bed. A younger sibling would have made it all easier.

"No? Then why was mom such a bitch on your Earth?" asked Killer Frost.

"Honestly I couldn't say," replied Caitlin. It had never occurred to her that there was a reason for her mum to be a bitch. She had just always thought it was part of her.

"So, how is this, going to get me out of here?" asked Killer Frost. She sure had a lot of questions. She should know, if it was her doppelganger figuring it out, it was going to work.

"The electrical current in the cable should heat up the carbine which in turn should speed up the electrons and the faster they go…." Started Caitlin.

"The weaker its molecular structure becomes," finished Killer Frost.

"Exactly," said Caitlin, raising an eyebrow at her doppelganger.

"I studied every once in a while," she replied with a smirk.

"Well when it gets hot enough it should make the carbine as fragile as glass," continued Caitlin, getting back to work.

"And then we can both get out of here," said Killer Frost, a smile across her face. Caitlin ignored her, listening to the tapping against the glass that the man in the iron mask was making. Even the tapping sounded weak, how long had Zoom held him in there? "Shut up!" yelled Killer Frost at him, and he shrunk back away from the glass. Once Killer Frost was out, they had to break him out, he didn't deserve that life.

"You could be nicer to him," said Caitlin, looking at her doppelganger.

"You try living 24 hours a day with him, and then tell me to be nice," said Frost. "But since you feel so chatty, I've got a question for you," she added, and Caitlin got a real sense of nervousness running through her body. "Why did Zoom take you as a prisoner? I mean, let's be honest, what exactly have you get to give him?" she continued, starring directly at Caitlin. She stayed silent. "See I have a theory. One which explains why he couldn't kill me, why he kept me in this cell. See I know Zoom, and he has no issue with killing so it isn't that. But perhaps," said Killer Frost, pushing her hands against the glass. "Perhaps, it's because he has feelings for someone who happens to look a lot like me," she finished. Caitlin looked up at her. "You don't need to answer, the fear in your eyes says it all," mocked Killer Frost, a smile on her face. Caitlin got back to work, she needed to get out of here, back home and away from Killer Frost and Zoom as soon as possible.

It took her awhile but she finally thought she had hooked it up so enough current would pass through the glass.

"Stay away from the wall," Caitlin warned Killer Frost.

"Let's give it a whirl," said Killer Frost, and Caitlin pulled the switch, sending electricity into the glass. She picked up a hammer and using all her strength broke the glass. Killer Frost had a grin across her face, finally she was free. "Well, looks like you have a little bad ass in you after all," she continued, slightly shocked Caitlin had managed to get her out of there. They both turned as the man I the iron mask began to knock against the glass.

"What are we going to do about this guy?" asked Caitlin, walking across to his cell.

"Oh Caity," said Killer Frost, ice forming up her arm. "I don't think he is ever going home," she said. The man started to knock more frantically at the glass. "And neither are you," she yelled, blasting ice towards her, only just missing her and hitting the glass.

"What are you doing?" screamed Caitlin. "I thought we had a deal!" she yelled.

"Oh is everyone on your Earth this gullible?" mocked Killer Frost, more ice spreading up her arm. Caitlin began to run away, before Killer Frost sent ice down to the floor, sending Caitlin skidding on the ground. She tried to get back to her feet, slipping all over the ice. "Heels aren't the best on ice are they?" taunted Killer Frost as Caitlin finally got to her feet. "You know, once I saw you I realised why Zoom didn't kill me, cause I look just like you. Now he won't need me anymore," she said, launching an icicle straight at Caitlin. Before she could do anything, she felt something past through her, and a blur of blue lighting entered the room. Zoom grabbed the icicle plunging it into Killer Frost's chest.

"No, I don't," Zoom said, tossing her to the ground. He turned to face Caitlin, pulling his mask off. "Try that with him, he dies too," he said, before racing out of the room. Caitlin looked at the corpse of Killer Frost, slowly walking over to her. Blood was pooling around the hole of the icicle. She knelt down beside her, feeling the need to close her eyelids. Even if she had just tried to kill Caitlin, there was something about seeing herself lying dead on the ground that disturbed her. She looked up at the man in the iron mask, who started to knock once more. She stood up and walked across to the glass, placing a hand against it.

"I can't understand you, and I can't help you without killing you," she said, and she could almost feel the despair coming from him. Suddenly she was covered in blue lighting, finding herself chained to her bed once more, alone in the room. She ran her hands up her arms, trying to see if the cuffs would come lose.

"You okay?" she heard Hunter say and looked up to see him entering the room.

"Stay away from me," replied Caitlin looking back down.

"Killer Frost tried to kill you Caitlin. I saved your life. You should thank me," he said, walking towards her.

"Thank you? You are keeping me as a prisoner, chained to a bed," she said, pulling up on the chains. "You may have just saved my life, but I wouldn't have had to risk it if I wasn't here," Caitlin continued. "So thank you. Thank you for taking me from my home, thank you for ruining everything I knew," she continued, fighting to keep the tears back from her eyes. "Thank you for pretending to be Jay. For pretending to be a man I could love," she spat, looking away from him.

"That love between us," he replied, raising a hand to her cheek that she tried to flinch away from. Instead he grabbed her neck, pulling her towards him. "That love is still here. And I know with time, it will grow between us again," he said, pressing his lips to her cheek. She tried to escape, but he had such a tight grip on her. He looked deep into her eyes, she could feel him burrowing into her head. All she wanted was to go home. "You may be scared of me now, think I am a monster," he said, gently stroking her cheek. "But I promise Caitlin, you will find that love once more with me," Hunter whispered, pressing his lips up against hers. Caitlin fought trying to get free, trying to escape his grip. It didn't work. When he finally pulled away, she slid as far back as the bed and chains would allow her to.

"Don't you get it? I can never love you! You lied to me, made me believe you were someone you were not!" Caitlin yelled, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

"No!" yelled Hunter reaching for her hand. "I may have had a different name, but the Jay I was around you, that was the real me. And you know that!" he continued, gripping her hand so tightly it made her wince. "And if you want to talk about why you claim not to love me, then the least you can do is be honest," he whispered.

"I don't know what you are talking about," said Caitlin, trying to pull her hand out of his iron grip.

"Barry," spat Hunter. "I can see the way you look at him, I know you think you have feelings for him. But those feelings, they are misguided. You may think you love Barry, but that was the love you felt for me. When you saw Jay die, you latched onto the closest thing. I know that you love me and not Barry," he whispered.

"I couldn't love you anymore than I can stop myself from loving him!" Caitlin screamed, and she immediately regretted it the moment she said it. Hunter launched backwards, his eyes flashing with blue lightning. He screamed so loudly, Caitlin's ears began to hurt.

"You are never going to see Barry again!" he yelled at her.

"Please just let me go," Caitlin begged.

"No, stay," he whispered, slowly calming himself.

"I want to leave," she said, it seemed to trigger more memories. "Please, take me back to my Earth," she continued, even though she felt like any chance she had of getting free was gone. Hunter smiled, and it scared her.

"You know, I've measured my success by counting the number of victims I had, but now I think I'm going to widen my scope. Start counting the number of earths I conquer instead," Hunter said, kneeling down beside her. "You want to go home, let's go. After all this Earth has already been brought to its knees," he said, before laughing. Caitlin had no time to register what was happening before she was taken in a streak of blue lighting.

It looked like she was going home.

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed the introduction, I rushed out the next chapter just for you. Hopefully the next one won't take too long, but fair warning: it won't be as quick as this. Thanks again to everyone for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	3. Chapter Two

Travelling through the speed force was an experience Caitlin struggled to explain. Everything flashed around you, things that could be real, but things that could be there to distract you, fool you. Zoom had her held tight, and even if she could move, she was almost certain she would hold onto him. Being with him seemed to be better than being in the speed force. They emerged in Central City, she knew the feel of her own Earth. Zoom kept running, weaving through the streets. Caitlin tried to figure out where he was taking her, but it was all a blur around her. Travelling at this speed, it made her feel sick. In addition to travelling between Earths, Caitlin couldn't handle this.

They sped into the police station, Zoom dropping her at the stop of the staircase, before he raced down a level.

"Zoom!" screamed Joe. Quickly, he pulled out his gun, ready to shoot if needed. But that wouldn't work against Zoom, he was faster than a speeding bullet.

"Hello old friend," Zoom said back. His voice echoed around the station, and Caitlin could see the fear in most of the officers' eyes. They all started to raise their guns against Zoom as well.

"Stay away from him," replied Joe, pushing Wally further behind him.

"Do not move," said Captain Singh, keeping his gun pointed at Zoom.

"Or what? You tried your guns on me once before," mocked Zoom, his head glancing around the station.

"No!" Caitlin quickly yelled, Zoom immediately turning to face her. "Don't hurt them," she continued, trying to keep as much authority in her voice as possible. But her hands shook where she was holding onto the railing. "Let them go, please," she begged.

"Tell everyone, that this city is mine. Anyone who disobeys me, will meet their end," threatened Zoom, glancing up at Caitlin.

"Alright, clear out," said Captain Singh, everyone slowly moving away. Joe looked up to Caitlin who nodded for him to leave. Once the station was cleared, Zoom took his hat off, revealing the face of the monster. He walked slowly up the stairs to Caitlin, she thought about running away. But where could she go that he couldn't stop her? Barry had lost his speed, and they had no idea she was here yet. Joe would tell them, but for now there was no escaping from here. And Zoom, she doubted he planned on letting her leave without a fight.

"I let them live, for you Caitlin," he said as he reached her, raising a hand towards her cheek. She wanted to flinch away, but he would do what he wanted with her. She couldn't help matters right now, she needed to play her cards right. He closed his eyes when his hand reached her cheek. Caitlin wanted nothing more than to be away from him, to never see Hunter again. "You should thank me, everything I am doing, I am thinking of you," he whispered, raising his other hand to her other cheek. "Say thank you," he whispered.

"Thank you," she muttered, trying hard not to grimace at the feel of his hands on her.

"I do want you to see how much I love you," he whispered. "But you don't understand yourself yet, but you will. Then you will realise how much you truly love me, and how much we need each other," he continued to whisper, and Caitlin couldn't take it anymore. She stepped out of his grip, racing backwards, falling to the floor. "You almost had me fooled," he muttered, pulling his hood back on. He grabbed her in a burst of lightning, and when they stopped, Caitlin had her hand cuffed to the edge of a table, trapping her.

"You know they are going to figure out a way to stop you right?" she said, trying to break free.

"Who? Barry? Wells? The police? No, nobody can stop me now. Not anymore," he said, a smile on his face.

"So what's your plan? Are you just going to kill everyone?" Caitlin asked, giving up on trying to break free.

"Not everyone," said Hunter, looking at her. He intended for some to live, of course he did. He needed subjects to rule over. And it appeared that he wanted Caitlin to be one of these.

"Then why are you keeping me here," she said, triggering something in Hunter's mind. If Caitlin had to guess, it had something to do with his mother.

"Cause I don't want to be alone anymore," he whispered. In that moment, Caitlin felt so sorry for him, his childhood wasn't his fault. Hunter wanted someone to be there, but she couldn't be that for him.

"I am never going to be with you," she replied. Hunter smiled.

"You think that you are not like me," Hunter said, kneeling down beside her. "But I have seen the darkness inside of you Caitlin, just like it was in Killer Frost. All you have to do is unlock it," he said, before racing out of the room. Caitlin quickly looked around, and saw something to help. Evidence boxes were stacked just behind the desk, which she tried to reach for. Her legs managed to grab hold of a box, allowing her to pull it towards her. She finally managed to pull a phone out of a box, muttering yes to herself. When loud footsteps echoed in the background, Caitlin quickly shoved the box away and put the phone in her back pocket. She watched Zoom talk to a man with a scythe.

"And?" he asked, clearly wanting an update. Zoom was never patient.

"He got away, but I'll find him," replied the man. His voice was manipulated, deeper than she expected it would be.

"Later," interrupted Zoom.

"He needs to pay for what he did to my brother!" shouted the man.

"And he will, later Rupture," replied Zoom. So the man with the scythe was called Rupture.

"What do you want me to do?" asked Rupture. Even the metahumans who worked for him seemed to be scared to death of him. Zoom ruled not by loyalty, but fear.

"The police have gathered again, they think I've spared their lives. Tonight, show them they are wrong," he said, and Rupture walked away. Zoom turned to Caitlin, pulling his mask off.

"You said you would spare them," she replied, fear leaking onto her face. They would be trapped like rats, Rupture would have the element of surprise and be able to take them down. And that could include Joe. Caitlin couldn't let that happen, she cared about him too much.

"I need to teach them a lesson," he said, lowering himself down to her. The way he spoke, it sounded as though killing the police was the most logical, normal thing he could do. Killing meant nothing to him, it was merely a tool to get what he wanted. He was proud of it, his victims count his measure of success.

"If that why you change your voice, so that, everyone will be afraid of you?" she said.

"As you once said," he started, his eyes turning black. "I'm nothing but a monster," he said in his echoing voice. It scared her, instinctually it scared her and she couldn't control that. He raced off, leaving her alone. She quickly pulled the phone from her back pocket, and started typing as fast as she could.

 _RUPTURE ATTACKS JITTERS 2NITE_

She hit send quickly, hoping that it would give them enough warning to stop him. If anyone else got hurt that was close to her, she couldn't take it. Barry had already given his speed up for that demon. For Barry that was everything. Caitlin saw so much more in him than the Flash. She saw the man, the kind, goofy, intelligent man who she loved with all her heart.

She sat there, just waiting, hoping that her message had given them what they needed. Zoom raced in at one point to turn the TV on.

"You need to see what happens," he hissed, before heading back out. She sat, waiting for something to happen. Then there it was.

" _Breaking news coming out of Jitters Coffee Shop. CCPN has learned that a metahuman was just apprehended after an altercation with the Flash."_

Caitlin smiled.

"You told them Rupture was coming," she heard, quickly turning to see Hunter. "How?" he asked. "How!" he yelled. She glanced over to the boxes of evidence. "Oh you are smart, aren't you. You betrayed me!" he screamed, looking hurt.

"You said you would spare them," she replied, pleading with him.

"I guess now we are even," he said, pulling his mask on, blue electricity crackling across his body.

"Jay, no!" yelled Caitlin.

"My name is Zoom," he scowled, before racing out of the room. She turned to the TV just as he appeared on screen. He stood in the entrance.

"Oh my god. No!" screamed Caitlin.

" _Make sure you get this!"_ said Zoom to the camera man, who raced closer to him.

" _Everybody move!"_ she heard Joe yell off camera. Electricity darted around Zoom, and Caitlin watched as almost every person fell to the ground, the camera included. She listened, the camera still at the ground.

" _I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me,"_ she heard Zoom say, no doubt holding someone by the throat.

" _Stop, stop!"_ she heard Barry's voice say. _"You've made your point,"_ Barry continued. Caitlin wished he would get out of there, away from Zoom and to safety.

" _Not quite yet,"_ Zoom replied, and Caitlin screamed. Who was he going to kill next? She heard the sound of someone dying. _"You're an even bigger disappointment than your brother,"_ she heard him say, the sound of a body hitting the ground. Zoom moved to pick up the camera, and Caitlin found herself breathing in. Barry was alive.

" _Central City, the Flash you see in your streets is a fake, a hologram, made to give you hope. But there is no more hope. There is no more Flash. And there is no one left to protect your city, from me!"_ Zoom said looking into the camera. _"Now you will watch as your head of police dies,"_ he said. Caitlin had to act quickly. She pulled the phone from her pocket, dialling Cisco's number.

"Pick up!" she screamed.

"Hello?' she heard Cisco's voice say.

"Cisco, I need you to get me through to that room, somehow, just do it!" she yelled.

"Barry, can you hear me?" he said, to the ear piece Barry must have had in. Caitlin waited, worrying every second of silence that went by. "Barry, its Caitlin. Tell Zoom that she is on the line," Cisco said.

" _Wait!"_ she heard Barry say, and Caitlin quickly looked up to the television. _"Its Caitlin,"_ he continued, pulling the ear piece out and offering it to Zoom. The feed on the television went blank.

"Caitlin," she heard a voice saw through the phone.

"Please, Hunter, I am begging you," she started, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please do not kill them. If you feel anything for me, I am asking that you do not kill them," she continued. There was silence on the other end. "If you love me, then spare them. I am begging you to spare them," Caitlin said, trying to keep the tears from her words. "Please, Hunter. I will do whatever you ask," she said, taking a deep breath. "I will do whatever it takes for you to spare them," she continued. "Please," she finished, her voice cracking. The line went dead. "No," she muttered, dropping the phone to the ground. "No!" she screamed, her cheeks flooding with tears. Then she heard the sound of lightning entering the room, Zoom coming to gloat over killing them. Before she could blink, she was standing in Jitters.

Joe and Captain Singh stood in the middle of the room, Barry behind them. He smiled at seeing her, but that vanished when Zoom reached out for her, pulling her close to him. He pulled his hood down.

"You want me to spare them?" he asked, looking down at her face. Caitlin took a deep breath, knowing that this was not going to be easy. She got down to her knees.

"I am begging you, pleading for you to spare them," she said, looking up at him. "Please, let them go," she whispered. The smile on Zoom's face scared her so much.

"To spare them I need two things from you," he whispered, placing a finger under Caitlin's chin and tilting her face even further upwards. "First," he said, placing his hands around her waist, and lifting her up from the ground. "You are going to have to convince me that you understand that your love for Barry is an illusion," he said, and Caitlin quickly turned to look at him. Barry looked so shocked, and rightly so. Caitlin knew better than to confess her feelings to him. He had Iris, he didn't need her in that way, he couldn't need her in that way. She had never wanted him to find out, and now Zoom had told him. "Convince me," said Zoom, tilting her head back to face him. "That a girl like you could never love anyone like Barry," he whispered.

"The second?" asked Caitlin. She almost didn't want to know.

"Soon enough," said Zoom, facing her towards Barry. Caitlin took a deep breath. She had never been a good actor. Her mind was always scientific, not drama based. Trying to act was never her strong suit. Each step to Barry she tried to change the image of him. Replace him with Zoom. She took one final deep breath before she stood in front of him.

"Its okay," whispered Barry, trying to calm her down.

"My patience is running thin," warned Zoom, stepping towards her. "Convince me, or they all die," he finished, running his hand up her arm.

"Barry," she started, staring him directly into the eyes. She wanted to collapse into his arms, but she couldn't because otherwise he would die. "How could I ever love someone like you?" she started, filling her voice with the hatred she had for Zoom. "I could never care for someone so weak, someone who can't even protect those he loves," she continued, and she saw Barry stumble slightly. She knew it was a low blow, but she knew it would work with Zoom. "I despise you," she spat, moving away from him. She quickly wiped a tear from her eye. The room fell silent. Then a singular clap rang out. Followed by more.

"You finally understand don't you?" said Hunter, moving across to her, grabbing her cheek with his hand. "You understand that you don't love Barry," he whispered, a smile on her face.

"What is the second thing?" asked Caitlin, looking away from him.

"Kiss me," he said, and she stepped back slightly. "Kiss me," said Zoom, stepping towards her and grabbing her in his grip. "Kiss me, and prove that we love each other," he whispered. Caitlin wasn't sure how much longer she could hold back the tears. She glanced around the room, the people who she was trying to save. Joe, who had become like a father to her. Captain Singh, who worked so hard to protect this city. And Barry, who she loved so much. She turned back to Zoom, looking him in the eyes, and raising a hand to his cheek. She slowly moved her lips up towards his, pressing them against his. She tried to pretend it wasn't Zoom she was kissing, but it was a struggle. It seemed to have worked, Zoom kept her pushed up against him, keeping her lips tight against his. When he finally pulled away, Caitlin stepped backwards.

"See Barry," said Zoom, with a smile spreading across his face. Caitlin looked across to Barry, who had gone slightly pale and was staring right at her. "She is mine!" he screamed. "You all live because of her. Try anything like this again, and even she," he said, looking across to Caitlin. "Even she will not be able to save you," he swore.

"Barry!" screamed Caitlin, before Zoom rushed them both out of Jitters. When they arrived back at the precinct, she found herself handcuffed again, and a monster with a grin on his face staring down at her.


	4. Chapter Three

Zoom had been all smiles with her after what had happened with Barry at Jitters. He no longer had her handcuffed, knowing full well that she wouldn't leave. And if she did, it would be easy for him to get her back. He had been so busy, no doubt preparing for his master plan. A part of her wanted to find out the plan, see if she could stop it. She doubted she could do anything, he may not have had her handcuffed but she had been locked in the captain's office. The one time she had tried to peek out the blinds, Zoom had been there to stop her.

"Why can't I look outside?" asked Caitlin, pulling her hand away from his. "Afraid I will see the destruction you have caused?" she added, and Zoom pulled his mask off, a scowl on his face.

"Tonight, you and I will be having a talk, I promise you that," he said, racing to her, and pulling her close. He pressed his lips to her forehead, something that was clearly meant as a romantic, but innocent, gesture. He smiled down at her, before racing out of the room, locking her into the room on the way. Caitlin fell to the ground. She wasn't sure how much more of Zoom she could take. She wondered how hard it would be to jump out that window, just get it over with. And if Zoom would catch her before she hit the ground.

After Ronnie had died, Caitlin had been depressed. She had left STAR labs and her friends, because everything reminded her on him. He had died a hero, but that didn't change the fact that he had died. The only thing that had kept her going was the fact that she knew Ronnie would want her to continue on, want her to try to live her life. Looking back, she had realised that leaving her friends hadn't helped the matter. They could have helped her, helped fill that loneliness.

She felt more helpless now than she had then. Zoom knew how to play a psychological game, by playing the role of Jay he had manipulated everyone around him. Now he was torturing her, keeping her a prisoner with the illusion of freedom in small doses. Taking every chance to assert dominance over her, all the while reminding her he loved her. It was almost enough to drive her out that window. But in a way, he would win if she did that. And she was going to beat him, even if it was in small victories. Caitlin would not give into Zoom.

Awhile later, Zoom came back, rushing in to see her. He kept the mask on as he stared at her, his eyes still black.

"What do you want?" she asked, almost wanting him to keep the mask on this time. With the mask on, she knew he was a monster. The face underneath it, it still held a bit of Jay for her. She still couldn't help but care for him. It was smaller than the part of her that despised him, and it would never win, but it was there.

"I have some good news for us," he replied, pulling his mask off and moving to stand beside her. Caitlin started to inch away, but he quickly grabbed her, pulling her towards him. "This will be hard for you to hear, so I am going to be here to support you," he whispered, pressing his lips to her cheek.

"What is it?" asked Caitlin, trying to get away.

"Barry is dead," he said, a large smile on his face.

"No." stuttered Caitlin. "You're lying," she continued, fighting to get the tears to stop. Zoom had to be lying, he had to be. Barry couldn't be dead, he couldn't be!

"He died trying to recreate the particle accelerator explosion. He disintegrated, all because he was trying to get his powers back," he replied. Caitlin broke free from him, running back, hitting the desk. She fell to the ground, folding her head into her arms, trying to stop the tears. This was a feeling that she had suffered so many times. She had lost Ronnie, twice. Then thought she had lost Jay. And now Barry.

"No," she muttered, feeling everything good inside her vanish. "No!" Caitlin screamed, looking straight at Zoom, who had a smile on his face.

"I understand that this is hard for you," he said, walking over to her, kneeling down beside her. Caitlin tried to move, but her body had given up control, her grief was overcoming her sense of repulsion for Zoom.

"You're lying," she whispered, even though a large part of her knew he wasn't. Barry would have done anything to stop this monster, and if that included trying to regain his powers, he would do it. But Barry couldn't be dead, she couldn't lose another person. "You have to be," Caitlin muttered between tears. "You're lying!" she screamed, throwing a fist towards Zoom. He caught it without a problem, and he pulled her close to him, holding her tight against his chest.

It was comforting.

She hated that having Zoom hold her made her feel better. She hated that it helped. And she hated that she wasn't pulling away. But right now, she just needed someone to hold her, and Hunter was the only one there.

"I know this is hard for you," repeated Hunter, running his hand through her hair. "But now, there is no one to come between us," he whispered, smiling at Caitlin. She snapped, breaking free of his hold, sliding backwards.

"You don't understand," she replied, wiping the tears from her face. "You don't. Because if you did, you would let me go, let me grieve!" she screamed.

"You are too caught up in the moment right now," said Hunter, sighing as he stood up. "I will be back for you soon, I have to do something," he said. Before he left he picked her up, racing her to a different room on the upper level of the precinct. She sat down in one of the chairs, letting the tears consume her once more. She knew what the first step was, shock. Zoom had managed to get her out of that stage pretty quick. Now came denial, and Caitlin was willing to stay in this stage forever. If it meant believing Barry was alive, she was completely okay with that. She could suddenly hear more footsteps throughout the precinct, the number seemed to increase as the sky got darker. She heard the voices gathering in the room below her, and she would go see what was happening except Zoom had jammed the door shut. There was nothing in the room to help her escape. She had no choice but to give up.

"Have you calmed down?" asked Hunter, darting into the room and taking his mask off. Caitlin stayed silent. "I know Barry's death is hard for you to accept, but now you and I can be together," he said, kneeling down in front of her chair. "Cait, please," he said.

"I asked you not to call me that," replied Caitlin.

"Caitlin…." Zoom replied with a sigh. "We've been through this again and again, and we've gotten nowhere," he said, reaching for one of her hands. "Now, I need to know, are you with me, or are you against me? Don't answer that yet," he said, making sure Caitlin didn't say anything. "I'm gonna go out there, spend a moment speaking to my friends, and when I come back, you'll give me your answer. If you're still here, I'll know you've chosen to stay with me. But if you're not here, I'll know you've chosen your friends instead. And I will show you exactly as much mercy as I will show them when we next see each other. So there you have it," he said, standing, looking down at her. "I need to go," he finished, looking like he wanted to say something else but didn't. He left the room and Caitlin took a deep breath. He was willing to let her go, let her leave. Why?

It didn't matter truly. She was free. There was only one problem.

Caitlin quickly got up, looking through every draw, every box. Zoom hadn't planned on putting her in this room, he may have left a phone somewhere, in some draw, hidden away. She finally found one, pulling it out. She dialled in Cisco's number, her hand shaking. It went to voice mail, and she took a deep breath after the tone went off.

"Cisco, it's me," started Caitlin, her voice shaking. "Listen, you need to know, Zoom has an army of metahumans ready to attack, you need to protect yourselves," she continued, then took another deep breath. "He has said I can leave, Zoom is letting me go. But I can't. If I leave there is no one to stop him, stop him from hurting the people I love. So I can't," she said starting to cry. "I have to stay with him if it gives me even the smallest chance to stop him from killing all of you," she continued. "Cisco, I care about you so much, and I need you to tell everyone how much I love them all," she finished. "And I don't know if Barry is dead or not," started Caitlin. "But if he is still alive, can you please get him to listen to this?" Caitlin, said, trying to stop crying before she talked to Barry. In this moment, it didn't matter if he was alive or dead. Caitlin needed to say these things. "Barry, I need to be honest with you. I love you. I have for some time. You are so much more than the Flash, you are so kind, and caring, so intelligent and brave. You are everything that I have ever wanted to find. And I understand, that for you there will always be another person, like Iris. And I respect that. But in case I never see you again, and in case something happens to me, I want to know that I told you the truth. Barry Allen, I love you. And I am so, so sorry for everything I have put you through. I love you Barry," she said, finally wiping tears from her eyes. "Goodbye," she said, hanging up the phone. There was no way she could leave Zoom, but she needed to say that. Even if Barry never heard the message, she could pretend he had. It sounded like Zoom was finishing his speech, so she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. She wanted to run so badly, flee away from the monster standing out there. She stayed around the corner, hidden out of sight. The door burst open, Zoom pulling off his mask. He saw the empty chair.

"No," he whispered, reaching for the chair. "No!" he screamed, picking up the chair and throwing it away.

"I suppose you will want this," said Caitlin, stepping out from the corner, holding the phone out to Zoom. He raced over to her, grabbed the phone and tossed it across the room, smashing into pieces. Then there was silence.

"You stayed," said Hunter, his face said it all. A large part of him had expected her to leave.

"I didn't stay for you," said Caitlin, leaning against the desk. Her legs felt like they might give way, they couldn't handle everything she was going through right now. "I stayed because if there is even a chance I get to help save my friends from you, I will take that," she looked up at Hunter, staring him in the eyes. "I will do whatever it takes to save my friends," she muttered. "And I think I stand the best chance of that here," Caitlin finished. Hunter remained quiet, looking at her.

"You stayed for more than that. You stayed because you feel our connection," said Hunter, lifting his hand to Caitlin's cheek. "You have just proven that, though it will take time, you and I can be together, can be in love," he whispered, as Caitlin shirked away from his hand.

"Chain me up again. Keep me your prisoner. But that is all I will be," she spat at him. "You want me to love you? Then prove you are worth me loving," she said. "Prove to me that you can be merciful and kind, that a part of you is the Jay I knew," she continued.

"I am proving my love to you. I let your friends live," said Hunter, reaching for her hands. "And when I conquer every world, you and I will be rulers, together," he whispered. Caitlin moved away from him.

"I don't want to be a ruler!" she screamed at him. Hunter shook his head.

"You do. And with time you will realise that," he promised, before picking her up and racing back to the captain's office. Out the glass she saw the hoard of metahumans, gathered outside, ready to wreak havoc on the city. Anyone who stood in their way would die, not even S.T.A.R labs could stop this many metahumans, especially without the Flash. Without Barry. "I will come back to see you as soon as I can," said Zoom, kissing her forehead. Caitlin just wanted to be alone, face the consequences of the decision she had just made. "I will leave a metahuman here to protect you. No one will lay a hand on you while you are mine," he added, just before heading out the door. She could feel the metahumans staring at her. Evidently the idea of Zoom being in love was a new concept to them. She wondered if them seeing what he was doing to her would weaken their fear of him, or make it stronger. Either way she was glad to be under his protection while here, because she was sure some people in that room would enjoy tearing her to pieces. Caitlin sat down behind one of the desk, hiding herself from the eyes outside the room.

She didn't want them to see her cry.


	5. Chapter Four

**Hey everyone, thank you for all the reviews, they really do get me to write the chapters faster. Thanks especially to Flash frost for asking that I write a chapter from Barry's POV. So this is just a quick chapter that revolves around Barry at S.T.A.R labs, next chapter will be back to Caitlin and Zoom. Enjoy!**

Cisco started to chew on his pen. He only did that when he got really nervous. He had listened to the first part of Caitlin's message so many times.

" _Cisco, I care about you so much, and I need you to tell everyone how much I love them all,"_ he repeated the line, over and over again. He could hear she was crying, he knew her well enough to hear the change in her tone. So he turned the speaker on.

"Guys," he said into it, taking a deep breath. "I need you up here now," he said, resetting the recording to the beginning. Everyone came in, Barry coming through in a red streak. He had lost his speed, Cisco understood him using it now as much as he could.

"News on Zoom?" asked Barry, moving to stand by the computer screen.

"I missed the call because we were dealing with the whole potential zombie apocalypse," started Cisco, as Joe was the last to enter the room. "But Caitlin rang. And I think you will want to hear it," he said, pressing play. They all went silent at the sound of her voice.

" _Cisco, it's me. Listen, you need to know, Zoom has an army of metahumans ready to attack, you need to protect yourselves. He has said I can leave, Zoom is letting me go. But I can't. If I leave there is no one to stop him, stop him from hurting the people I love. So I can't. I have to stay with him if it gives me even the smallest chance to stop him from killing all of you. Cisco, I care about you so much, and I need you to tell everyone how much I love them all,"_ they heard her say. Barry felt his heart slump, she sounded so weak, so broken. What had Zoom done to her? What was he putting her through?

"We need to save her," Barry muttered.

"Wait," said Cisco. "There is more," he added, turning the recording up.

" _And I don't know if Barry is dead or not,"_ started Caitlin. _"But if he is still alive, can you please get him to listen to this?"_ she finished and Cisco paused the recording.

"I don't know what she says next," muttered Cisco. "But I figured these words are for you and you alone," said Cisco, sending the file through to Barry's phone.

"I need to go and…" stuttered Barry, moving out into the hallway. He paced the corridors, every second growing more anxious. He wanted to hear what Caitlin had said to him. The only issue was, what if what she said wasn't what he wanted to hear? He was so worried, because right now she was imprisoned with Zoom. Stuck in a physical and psychological prison, and he didn't know how to save her. It was likely that he had her trapped in the precinct, surrounded by a battalion of metahumans to protect her. He pulled out his phone and opened up the audio file. Barry always got nervous around this kind of thing. But this was different to the nerves about talking with Iris, or when he had asked Patty out. These felt twenty times worse. Maybe it was because there was a chance he would never see her again. Or maybe it was because there was something more to his relationship with Caitlin than just friends.

He pressed play.

" _And I don't know if Barry is dead or not. But if he is alive, can you please get him to listen to this?"_ he paused it, hearing her voice so broken hurt. He felt the pain she was feeling.

He pressed play again.

" _Barry, I need to be honest with you. I love you. I have for some time. You are so much more than the Flash, you are so kind, and caring, so intelligent and brave. You are everything that I have ever wanted to find. And I understand, that for you there will always be another person, like Iris. And I respect that. But in case I never see you again, and in case something happens to me, I want to know that I told you the truth. Barry Allen, I love you. And I am so, so sorry for everything I have put you through. I love you Barry. Goodbye,"_ Barry froze.

His phone hit the ground.

She did love him, it wasn't Zoom's manipulative behaviour.

Caitlin loved him.

He reached up to his cheeks, feeling the tears running down them. Barry had never had the most luck in love. He had been in love with a girl who had never looked at him that way. And then a girl he lost because he couldn't be honest. Maybe that was why he had tried to see Caitlin as only a friend, because he couldn't see her as anything more or else he might lose her too.

But the truth was he did have feelings for her. He couldn't help it. And they went past the idea of friends, past the sibling bond that Caitlin and Cisco shared. There was so much more between her and Barry, that both of them had tried to bury.

He loved Caitlin.

Caitlin had lost the love of her life, and Barry had thought Iris was his. Maybe Caitlin was lucky enough to get two, and Barry had only had one the whole time.

He loved the way she smiled when she finally solved a problem no one else could solve. The laughs that echoed around the lab when her and Cisco would joke together. Her willingness to do whatever it takes to protect those she cared about. Her fighting spirit, he knew that no matter what Zoom did, Caitlin would always fight back. He loved her intelligence, her wit. If he needed to talk over evidence, she was the one to go to.

Caitlin didn't open up to many people, and Barry realised she had opened up to him. She had trusted him with so much of her life, and she was now so much of his life. When Zoom had taken her, and then forced her to say those things at Jitters, it had shocked Barry's system.

When Barry lost his speed, he thought he had lost what he was, everything that made him special.

" _You are so much more than the Flash, you are kind, and caring, so intelligent and brave,"_ she said, and it made Barry smile. She loved him, even though he had lost his speed, become regular, become ordinary.

Barry picked himself up off the floor, feeling the anger flash through his body. He could feel the electricity flash through his eyes. Every minute she was stuck with Zoom was another minute Barry was failing her. And that needed to change. He walked back towards the main room, everyone waiting for him. They tried to look like they hadn't been talking about him and Caitlin, they failed.

"We are getting her back," said Barry, and everyone in the room knew how serious he was. Barry had only sounded this determined on a rare occasion before. When hunting down the reverse flash, when trying to stop Zoom.

"Alright," said Harry.

"We need a way to stop these metahumans, take them all out in one go, and lock them all away," said Barry.

"I'll have a think," said Harry, grabbing Jesse and racing down to the workshop. They worked well together as a team.

"Cisco, can you come with me?" asked Barry, and Cisco nodded.

"I'm guessing Caitlin came clean with you in the recording?" asked Cisco, pulling out a stool to sit on.

"You knew? About how she felt?" said Barry, leaning against the table, wiping his cheeks.

"Caitlin couldn't hide it from me, I know her too well," he replied. Barry looked at Cisco, who caught on as to why he had been pulled away. "You want me to vibe on Caitlin? See how she is?" he asked and Barry nodded. "I'll go get her lab coat," muttered Cisco, needing something that he could connect to her.

"I'll come with you, in case you vibe when you get closer," said Barry, and they both headed to where Caitlin kept her belongings. It felt slightly invasive, going through her belongings, but it was worth it if Cisco managed to see her.

Barry found her lab coat first. All he could see was her smiling in it, delighted at solving the impossible. He had always loved it when she smiled, it was so contagious that he couldn't resist grinning from ear to ear as well. Or the way she would chew on her pencil while waiting on a lab result. Or nervously tap her ring finger while waiting for an email to come through. He loved everything about her. He held the coat close to him for a minute, needing the small comfort it provided. With her coat here, Barry could almost convince himself that Caitlin was there with him, by his side, smiling and laughing. With no Zoom to worry about. Just the two of them, finally being honest with each other, being together. Barry extended the coat out towards Cisco who took a deep breath. He had been vibing so much recently, he hoped it wouldn't have a negative effect on him later. But Caitlin was worth it.

 _She was sat in the Captain's office on a makeshift bed, the windows blocked out. Metahumans littered the corridor outside. She looked so pale, so weak, he doubted she had slept or eaten much at all._

Cisco came out of the vibe with a gasp. "She is alive, Zoom is keeping her at the precinct, in the Captain's office," he muttered, gathering his strength back. He passed the coat back to Barry, not wanting to accidentally vibe on her again. "She's weak though, it doesn't look like she has been eating or sleeping much," he added, and Barry fell down into a chair. Caitlin needed him more than ever, and he had no clue how to help her now. "Metahumans are patrolling the whole precinct, no way even you can get to her with all the people around her," Cisco added, leaning back against a table.

"Then we think of a way to take them all out, and save her. Before…" started Barry, unable to finish the sentence. Both knew what could happen to Caitlin, and neither planned on attending a funeral any time soon. "Cisco, can you vibe me to her? So I can let her know I'm alive?" asked Barry, even though he knew what Cisco would reply.

"There is at least five people with eyes on her. They would see you instantly, and that could end badly for her," replied Cisco, stuttering over the last couple of words. Both of them wanted to prevent any extra harm to Caitlin, she was clearly going through more than enough already, and Barry didn't want to be the reason she was hurt more.

"Cisco, we are going to save her. And then we are going to do whatever it takes to stop Zoom so that he can never hurt her, or anyone else again," said Barry, gripping her lab coat tight.

"Barry," started Cisco, slightly hesitantly. That wasn't like him. Normally Cisco was fairly straight up with him, they had become like brothers and that removed a lot of the need for a filter between the two. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to," he continued and Barry started to worry. What was so bad that he had to give Barry a way out before he started? "How do you feel, about Caitlin? I know where she stands, but do you feel the same for her?" he asked, looking at Barry. "I have seen Cait heartbroken so many times Barry. I can't let her go through it again," he finished. Barry reached for his phone, skipping the recording slightly ahead.

" _Barry, I need to be honest with you. I love you. I have for some time. You are so much more than the Flash, you are so kind, and caring, so intelligent and brave. You are everything that I have ever wanted to find. And I understand, that for you there will always be another person, like Iris. And I respect that. But in case I never see you again, and in case something happens to me, I want to know that I told you the truth. Barry Allen, I love you. And I am so, so sorry for everything I have put you through. I love you Barry. Goodbye."_

"I didn't realise she felt that deeply, muttered Cisco, wiping a tear away from his eye. He knew she had strong feelings for Barry, but a part of him thought that no one could come close to Ronnie. But the way she spoke about Barry, she did truly love him. And that made Cisco's question matter a lot more.

"I love her Cisco. I love her so much, that knowing how she feels and that right now we cannot be together is driving me completely mad. I always thought that Iris was the only one I would ever truly love, but Caitlin has always been there, and I can't lose her now that I know how I truly feel," he said, new tears rolling down his cheeks.

"We will get her back, I promise you that Barry," said Cisco, gripping his hand tight.

"Cisco, Barry we need you in here now," they both jumped as Harry's voice came over the speaker.

"Let's do this," said Cisco. Barry nodded.

"Let's bring her home."


	6. Chapter Five

The makeshift bed had made life slightly more comfortable. It hadn't helped Caitlin sleep though, she could only get an hour here and there before the fear of Zoom woke her. The metahumans patrolled the corridor but only entered to deliver food, never saying one word to her. Most of the food went untouched, there was very little her stomach was letting her eat before she felt like throwing up.

"You need to eat," said Hunter, and she turned to see him standing in the doorway.

"No thanks," muttered Caitlin, turning away from him. She wished that she could look out the window, see the destruction that Zoom had no doubt brought down on her city. But the moment the metahumans started the attacks, he had the entire window covered and sealed. She wasn't allowed to see out. Zoom was careful in his manipulation, he knew what to do to drive her mad, try to break her down. And Caitlin was fighting it, with every bit of strength in her body. But she was beginning to lose that strength. Little food, little water, little sleep. It took a toll.

"Are you sleeping any easier?" he asked, walking towards her, and she turned. Her face gave it all away. The dark circles under her eyes could give black holes a run for their money. "Caitlin, why do you do this to yourself?" asked Hunter, stepping towards her. She slowly started to edge around the captain's desk, trying to keep away from him. He kept at the slow pace towards her.

"Maybe because I don't want to give you the satisfaction of winning," she muttered and Hunter shook his head.

"The only person you are hurting is yourself," he replied. "Can't you see? I only want to give you everything you need, everything you want," he continued, speeding across to grab a tight hold of her hands. She wanted to break away, but if she had learned anything, it was that he could hold on tight.

"Then stop all this," replied Caitlin. "Stop this war, stop the violence and the killing," she begged, and he sighed, letting go of her.

"Caitlin, you know I cannot do this. I have to rule this Earth, I have to rule them all," he whispered back to her.

"And you want a reason for me to hate you?" she spat back at him, and he frowned, his face twisting into a menacing glare.

"Hate is a strong word to use there," he muttered, stepping slightly away from her. "Caitlin, you chose to stay. You had the chance to run, and you stayed," he whispered, sitting down on the edge of her bed. She watched as every metahuman who passed by the office kept their gaze averted. While Hunter was in the room with her, a gaze could cause death. "You stayed here, by my side," he added, staring back at her. "You may think it is because you hope to protect your friends. But I think we both know the truth," he added, and Caitlin turned to face him.

"The truth is that I am hoping a small part of me can convince you to stop. And that small chance is worth the risk that comes with it," she replied, using what little strength she had left to stand up to him now. He needed to know, at least in this moment, she was not going to give in. "I need to save the people I love. If you want to win my love, you have to earn it," she said. "Show them mercy," she spat and Zoom frowned.

"Why should I spare them? They defied me," replied Hunter, his anger getting through to him as his voice boomed across the police station. Caitlin saw some metahumans jump, they were so scared of Zoom. He inspired so much terror, and so much fear, how could she have not seen it before? If Zoom ordered them to jump off a cliff, most probably would. Better a quick death than torture at his hands. "If I am to lead, I must be feared. People have to listen to me!" he screamed, moving towards Caitlin. She tried to rush backwards and as far away from him as she could, but he picked her up and pinned her to a wall.

"That anger, that rage," scowled Caitlin, feeling this strength running out fast. "You let it rule you, control you, and that is what makes you a monster," she spat. Hunter stumbled back a couple of steps, she had triggered his memories once more. He brushed it off quickly, he couldn't seem weak in front of his lackeys.

"Do you want me to treat you like a prisoner?" he asked, his voice softer, slightly calmer. It was almost more terrifying than the yelling. Caitlin's legs finally gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. Zoom smiled at that, every time he saw her weaker, he won the battle. And there was only so much that she could do to stop the breakdowns. She would eat to get her strength back, but even that resulted in a win for him.

"Don't you understand, that is all I am," she whispered back. He shook his head.

"You stayed," he said. "Your choice," he added, pointing directly at her. "You want me to treat you as a prisoner?" he asked, grabbing a hold of her once more. He dragged her over to the bed, and chained her tight to it. His anger was controlling him right now. "Fine, there now you are a prisoner," he whispered, crouching down beside her. "When you realise that you are not my prisoner, that you are here as my love, then tell me, let me know," he continuing, grabbing her face and pressing his lips to her cheeks. "I hope, for your sake, you realise that soon," he added, standing up from beside the bed. Caitlin tried to tug on handcuffs, but they had her trapped. They both quickly looked towards the door as someone entered the room.

"No," whispered Caitlin, staring at a face she knew all too well. A face she never thought she would see again. Her hair was darker, and her make up heavier, but there was no hiding who it was. "Laurel?" she whispered, and both Zoom and Laurel's doppelganger looked at her.

"No, I am not your pathetic friend," she said, acting as though it was a heavy insult to her. She may have looked and sounded a bit like Laurel, but her actions, her stance, everything gave away that she wasn't. "You can call me Black Siren," she added, a wicked grin on her face. Hunter frowned, turning to face her quickly.

"You are not to enter this room!" he yelled, making sure all the metahumans outside could hear him. Black Siren genuinely had fear on her face for a minute. It only lasted for a minute. Hunter turned to face her. "I will be back later," he whispered, seizing her lips quickly before he sped out of the room, grabbing Black Siren and locking the door. Not that it mattered, she was chained to the bed now.

"Damn it," whispered Caitlin, leaning her head on her unchained hand. There was no way for her to get out of this nightmare. She felt the tears ready to run down her face, Zoom had taken her strength, her freedom from her. He had broken her, and it wouldn't be long until there was nothing left for him to break. She lay down on the bed, feeling the exhaustion overwhelm her. There was nothing she could do to keep her eyelids open right now.

 _"Barry?" she asked, looking at him, standing in his Flash suit. The hood was down so she could see his face, his warm eyes, adorable grin and perfect haircut. She raised her hand gently towards his cheek, pressing it lightly against his face._

 _Barry didn't react._

 _"I miss you so much," Caitlin whispered, lowering her hand to his chest. "And I know, I know that you are most likely dead and gone, but I love you, so much," she whispered. There was still no reaction from Barry. He was so still, it was like he was frozen, like a mannequin. She wished that he were more alive, able to fold his arms around her, hold her tight, hold her safe. "Barry please don't be dead," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. Barry slowly raised his hand, and she quickly looked up to his eyes._

 _"Too late," Zoom's voice hissed, as his hand phased through Barry's chest._

 _"No!" she screamed, as he pulled it out and Barry fell to the ground. Caitlin collapsed by his side, falling to the ground over Barry's body. She screamed, unable to stop crying. Barry's body was so lifeless beside her. His eyes had lost all warmth, all soul, they were so…. Dead._

 _"You are mine," hissed Zoom, picking her up and shoving her up against a wall. He pulled off the mask, grinning with such menace that Caitlin wanted to run and never return. "Nothing will stop that," he hissed, pressing his lips against her, pushing his body against hers._

 _"No!" screamed Caitlin._

Caitlin jolted up in bed, struggling to breathe. She knew next to no time had passed, she still felt overcome with exhaustion. Every time she tried to sleep, every time she tried to rest, he would always appear. It didn't matter what she dreamed of, or even what nightmare it was. Zoom would always find his way into his head, wake her. And it was driving her mad. She knew he had spent time in a mental asylum. He had clearly learnt a trick or two from his time there, he knew how to manipulate the minds of those around him. That was how he had played the character of Jay so well.

The door to the room opened, and a metahuman walked in with a tray of food. She sat up. The metahuman remained silent as he bent down to put the tray on her bed.

"You may as well take it with you," she muttered. The metahuman left it there.

"Word of advice," he whispered, and Caitlin almost jumped. None of them spoke to her, Zoom had made it clear that to speak to her resulted in death. She stayed silent, at least this metahuman might say something to help her. "Do exactly what he tells you to do, do whatever he asks. If he tells you to love him, then do it. It's the only way to survive Zoom," he finished, quickly standing up and heading out the door. She thought about yelling out to him, but another metahuman would report it, and then there would just be more blood spilt. Why did he bother to talk to her? What he had said, she knew that was what she should be doing, going along with his game. But she couldn't, not anymore. Zoom had broken her, but she wasn't giving up yet. Until her dying breath, she was going to fight Zoom. He couldn't win, not after he had already taken so much from the people she loved. She shifted the tray of food to the ground, clearing the bed off. Caitlin lay back, trying to keep her breathing slow. Everything around her was driving her insane.

"It is good to see you getting some rest," she heard Zoom's monstrous voice say, his mask was tight on his face. She sat up slowly, her hand jangling against the handcuffs. He looked down at the hand chained to the bed. "My offer from before still stands. The moment you accept you are not a prisoner, I will take those cuffs off of you," he added, the mask staying on. "For your safety however, I will be assigning a metahuman to protect you," he continued, moving across the room, blue electricity darting around his body. He knelt down beside her, and finally removed the mask. She would have moved away from him, but the bed wasn't that easy to shift. "Listen, there is something important happening tonight, I want you to know I will keep you safe," he whispered, raising a hand to her cheek. When she said nothing in return, he scowled and stood up, putting the hood back on. He sped out the room leaving her alone once more. At least now she had a better idea of the time. With the windows all being blocked out, she hadn't been able to see outside to see when day and night passed. And with the little sleep she had gotten, that didn't help either.

Then something in the air changed.

Caitlin jumped, her handcuffed hand jangling against the bed, as she felt vibrations passing through the air. They didn't hurt her, but for some reasons she started to hear screams of pain, and all the metahumans surrounding her began to fall to the ground. She tried to look out the door, but she could only see so far from the bed.

Then Zoom caught her eye. Whatever it was they were doing, it was causing him pain too. He used his arm to generate a breach. He stood up, looking like he was about to race over to her. Then he jumped through the breach.

He was gone.

And all the metahumans, seemed to be down. It must have been Cisco and Harry, surely no one else in the city would have been able to do it. She tried to yank the handcuff off the bed, tried to get free, but it didn't work. She was trapped. Caitlin listened, hoping to hear someone coming to rescue her.

Her ears were met with silence.

Caitlin lowered her head. They may have stopped the metahumans, but how could they clean all this up? How could they get them all locked up before some started to wake up? Or before Zoom returned? And the first place Zoom would come back to would be here, he would come back to her. Make sure he could reclaim his prize, kept her by his side. Just the thought of that scared her so much.

Then something strange happened.

Caitlin watched, and she could have sworn she saw red electricity streak through the police office, picking up metahumans and taking them out. She tried to get a better look, tried to stand up and see what was happening but she couldn't. The lightning returned again, and again, and again. Maybe it wasn't her mind playing a trick.

"Barry?" she whispered, watching for the lightning to return once more. "It can't be," Caitlin whispered again. Barry was dead. The lightning entered the precinct once more, and Caitlin found she had stopped breathing. The door was flung open to the captain's office and the streak stopped. "Barry," she whispered again, a smile coming out on her face. The first time she had truly smiled in days. She also felt tears edging out her eyes, she wasn't in the mental state to handle this. Barry pulled his hood down, and rushed over to her, vibrating the cuffs off her arm. He was alive, he was actually alive. She fell into his arms, her body couldn't support her any longer.

"I'm here, Cait," Barry whispered, holding her tight. "You are safe, I am here."


	7. Chapter Six

Barry sat with Caitlin in his arms for an hour. He could see in her face that she was so weak, so fragile. He worried if he tried to run her out of there, she would fall apart in his arms. Caitlin couldn't seem to stop crying, and even when she did, her body continued to shake. When she had stopped crying and shaking, Barry decided it was time to get her out of there. He thought about taking her to S.T.A.R labs, he really wanted his dad to check her over. She was so exhausted though, and he knew that what Caitlin needed now was peace. And Barry knew that if other people were around, she would try to act tougher.

"Just keep your arms around my neck," he whispered to her, and Caitlin looked up at him. Her eyes were so beautiful, even though they were red from all the crying.

"Okay," she muttered back, tucking her head under his neck, interlocking her fingers to try to hold on. Barry made sure he had a tight grip on her, he wasn't going to let her go now. He thought about taking her to her apartment, an environment that she could control. But if Zoom came back, he would look for her there. And there was the same problem with his house. Every single place had been compromised by that monster. At the end of the day the best place for her was S.T.A.R labs. Barry sped in, laying her down on one of the hospital beds. "Thank you," muttered Caitlin, reaching for Barry's hand. He kept a tight hold on it, just as Cisco raced into the sick bay.

"Caitlin," he muttered, moving slowly across to the bed. He looked down at his best friend. She looked so weak, so unlike the strong Caitlin he knew.

"Cisco, can you get my dad? I need him to do a medical check on her," said Barry, and Cisco quickly nodded. He headed out to find Henry, which surveillance cameras made a lot easier. Barry wasn't going to be leaving her side anytime soon. The metahumans were locked up, and Zoom was back on his earth. For now the only place he needed to be was by her side.

"Barry, I am so sorry," Caitlin whispered, slowly sitting up from the bed. Barry looked into her eyes.

"Sorry for what? That monster was the one controlling you Cait, you did nothing wrong," he replied, unable to speak Zoom's name at the moment. Everything he had done to her, it filled Barry with such rage, such anger. He wanted to kill him for what he had done. He turned, hearing footsteps head towards them. Caitlin shifted herself in the bed, propping herself up. There she was, putting on the brave front for the people around her. Using strength that she didn't have in her body.

"Caitlin, you need to lie down," said Henry, moving to a draw and grabbing a syringe.

"No," replied Caitlin, gripping Barry's hand tight. "Please, don't sedate me. I can't fall asleep. All I see is him," she rambled, desperate to stay awake.

"Cait, you need rest," said Barry, reaching one of his hands to her cheek. It felt so natural to both of them. "I promise I will stay by your side the entire time," he whispered, and she nodded.

"When you wake up, you need food, and I'm going to get an IV going into you with fluids. You are extremely dehydrated," said Henry, beginning prep on the IV. Caitlin looked slightly hesitant.

"You are safe with us," Barry whispered, pulling Caitlin into his chest. Henry moved across and pressed the needle into her arm. The only way that girl is getting any sleep, Henry thought to himself as he pushed the sedative in, is if we drug her. The sedative wasn't going to take long to kick in, but it didn't seem like either Barry or Caitlin planned on moving until she was unconscious. Henry finished the IV preparation just as Barry was laying Caitlin down to sleep. He tried to put the needle in as gently as possible, watching the liquid flow into her system. He made sure there nutrients going in as well, she wasn't just dehydrated but malnourished.

"Son, I gave her enough sedative that she will be out like a light for the next eight hours at least. If you want, I can call you when she wakes up?" he asked, and Barry shook his head.

"I promised I would stay by her side and I will," replied Barry, pulling a chair over to beside the bed.

"Son," said Henry, making sure no one else was within earshot. He wanted an honest answer from his son. "Do you care about her? As more than a friend?" he asked, and the look on Barry's face said it all. Henry leaned back against the table. "You love her don't you?" he asked and Barry nodded. The way Barry looked at her, it was the way he remembered looking at his wife. It made him happy to see his son find that once in a lifetime love. "I'll be back to check on her later," Henry said, getting up and heading out of the room. Barry stayed by her side the entire time, muttering most of it, just needing to talk to her. He had thought he had lost her at moments, and the fact that she was here safe made Barry feel happier than he had ever felt.

"I brought you some food," he heard a voice say, and looked up to see Joe standing in the doorway. He had two boxes of pizza in his hand, both of which were for Barry.

"Thanks," said Barry, leaning back from Caitlin. Joe moved across, putting the pizza down beside Barry who immediately ate an entire box.

"How is she?" asked Joe, looking at her. "She's been through hell. I saw the way Zoom looked at her in the police station," he muttered, and Barry felt the anger in his system once more. He wanted Zoom dead.

"She's resting, which is what she needs right now," replied Barry, moving towards the next box of pizza. He downed that one quickly two. What Joe would give for Barry's metabolism.

"That isn't all she needs right now," said Joe, looking at Barry in the eyes.

"What is it with father figures in my life and my love life today," muttered Barry, looking down at her.

"Barry, it is kind of impossible to miss. The way you are looking at her right now, that is true love," laughed Joe back, which made Barry smile.

"I feel so helpless," muttered Barry. "I can't help her, I can't take away the memories of what Zoom has done to her," he continued, reaching for her hand.

"Even if you could Barry, that would be the wrong thing to do. The only thing you can do for her is be there by her side, be the support she needs right now," replied Joe. He looked at the two of them and knew that this was the right decision. He knew there had always been Iris and Barry floating in the background, a distant goal in most cases. But Barry here, this was love.

"I can't lose her again," said Barry, looking up at Joe.

"We won't. We will stop Zoom and keep her safe," promised Joe, grabbing a hold of Barry's shoulder to reassure him. Joe left the room, knowing Barry just wanted to be alone with her right now. He sat in the chair, just looking at her. He kept an eye on the clock, counting down until the sedative would start to wear off. He wanted her to rest, she clearly hadn't had much recently, but he also really needed to talk to her.

 _The darkness had been so comforting for a change for Caitlin. Then she saw lightning streaking through the darkness, lighting up the area. In a blink Barry was suddenly standing before her, not in his Flash suit, but in his normal clothes. He had a large smile on his face as he stared at her. It made Caitlin feel warm, and safe. He lifted his hands to her cheeks._

" _Cait," he whispered, before moving towards her lips. Caitlin leaned in, letting him meet her lips. Barry pulled backwards and she felt herself staring into the eyes of Zoom, and she ran away from him, but everywhere she turned he was there._

" _Leave me alone!" she screamed, trying to run away. Zoom picked her up off the ground, holding her tight._

" _You are mine," he whispered at her, his eyes turning black before she was surrounded by blue lightning._

"No!" yelled Caitlin, sitting up in bed and hyperventilating. Barry quickly grabbed a hold of her hands, shocked to see her like this.

"Cait, it's okay, I'm here," Barry whispered, as everyone else raced into the room. Hearing Caitlin scream like that, seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks and the fear on her face, it hurt all of them. "You are safe, I promise, I'm here," he continued, pulling her into his chest.

"Every time I sleep, every time I almost get rest, he is there," she spluttered, her entire body shaking in Barry's arms. "I can't handle this," Caitlin continued, completely overcome with sadness.

"It's okay, we are here for you," whispered Barry, keeping her tight in his arms. Seeing Caitlin like this, broke his heart. She was such as strong woman who had already been through so much pain and hurt. She didn't deserve this.

"He broke me," she whispered.

"He cannot touch you again, we will keep you safe. I promise, I will keep you safe," whispered Barry, wiping some of the tears off her cheeks.

"You need rest," said Henry. "And you need food," he added, grabbing a bag of Chinese that Cisco had gone to pick up. "Trust me, it will make all the difference," he finished, sitting the bag down beside her. Caitlin smelt the food, and for the first time she didn't feel sick at the thought of eating. Barry opened the bag up and she realised how hungry she really was. Maybe it would help, maybe if she did get her strength back, she might be able to remove Zoom from her mind. Barry opened a box up, and pulled out a fork for her to use. Everyone looked at Caitlin shaking though and knew she wasn't going to be able to use that on her own. More importantly, they knew she wouldn't want them to watch that.

"We will be back to check on you soon," said Cisco, as they all slowly trailed from the room. Caitlin looked at Barry, who showed no sign of moving. She didn't know what he felt, and that made the shaking worse.

"Listen," started Barry, using the fork to pick up some of the Chinese for her. Once the food was on there, he passed it to her, she could at least do that much. Caitlin took a small bite of the food, not wanting to overwhelm her system after next to no food over the past couple of days. "I know how terrible the timing was, for what you told me on the phone," he continued, and Caitlin froze.

"You listened?" she asked, and Barry nodded. Caitlin looked down, keeping her eyes away from his. Barry used a finger to lift her chin up so that they were staring at each other again. Both sat there, neither saying anything for a minute.

"But it is terrible timing for me too. Because I have had to watch the woman I love be tormented by a man who played us all. Cait, I know you are not in the state to hear this, but I need to tell you in case I don't get the chance to," he whispered. "Dr. Caitlin Snow, I love you," he finished, and Caitlin froze, staring into his eyes.

Barry loved her.

Barry loved her. He felt the same way as her, he did love her.

"Barry," whispered Caitlin. Then she did something under those circumstances she probably shouldn't have. She leaned into him and kissed him. It didn't last long, but it didn't need to. They both knew what that kiss meant, that they were both in love with each other. That they were both there for each other.

"I promise, I am staying by your side to help you through this. What that monster has done to you, he will pay for that," he promised, bringing her into his chest once more. "And no matter how long it takes for you to feel better, I am going to stay by your side," he finished, and Caitlin folded into his arms.

"I love you Barry," she whispered, and Barry smiled. It was good to hear her say that in person.

"And I love you Cait," he whispered back, planting a gentle kiss to her forehead. He was willing to take this slow, give her time to heal, to mend. He would do anything to make her feel better. And that included taking Zoom down.

 **Thanks to everyone for the reviews! It really makes me smile. But now I need your help! As the story nears the end of Season Three, I want to get an idea of what you guys would like to happen. Should Barry still travel back in time? Should Caitlin become Killer Frost? Should the two live happily ever after? Let me know, and who knows, you may change what I currently have planned! Thanks again!**


	8. Chapter Seven

After she had consumed some more food and talked to Barry for a while, Caitlin agreed to be sedated once more. It had helped, she did feel rested, but she had lost so much sleep that it hadn't been enough. Barry promised to stay near her again, and so Henry pushed the needle into her arm once more. He also put the IV back in, making sure there was a steady flow of liquid going into her system.

This time when Caitlin awoke though, it was with no scream, no shrieks of fear. Instead she awoke to see Barry asleep in the chair beside her, and it made her smile. He loved her, as she loved him. Nothing could stop the feeling that caused in this moment. Not even the looming image of Zoom in the corner of Caitlin's eyes. She just wanted to be here in the moment with Barry before something inevitably went wrong, it always did.

"I can almost hear you thinking about how badly this is going to end," muttered Barry, opening his eyes to look at her. He did know her so well. "And for once Dr Caitlin Snow, you are going to have to ignore that voice in your head. You are not going to overthink this situation. Instead, you and I both are going to enjoy it," continued Barry, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Because you and I both know how quickly we can lose good things," he whispered.

"Alright," said Caitlin, standing up from the bed. She stumbled slightly, her legs struggling to adjust to being out of bed after so long. In a flash, Barry had his arms around her tight, to stop her from falling. It was useful to have his speed around.

"You need to take it slow Cait," he whispered, letting her stand on her own.

"I need to do something to keep me busy Barry," she muttered looking up at him. "Whenever I feel like I'm doing nothing, all I can see is him, he is the only thing there," she continued. "Keeping busy, it helps keep him out," finished Caitlin, and Barry reached for her hands.

"And I get that, but you cannot charge in head first Cait. You need to take your time, you have been through something none of us could understand. You have to take the time for yourself now," Barry finished, pulling her into a tight hug. It was so comforting, so warm, so loving. They both wanted to stay like that forever.

"So should I come back later?" asked Cisco as he froze. They turned to see him standing in the doorway.

"What's up?" asked Barry, looking back briefly to Caitlin.

"Joe wanted to know if you felt up to dinner tonight," he replied, pointing to the two of them. "He thought it might be nice, to celebrate Caitlin's return, and you know, Zoom being gone," he rambled off.

"Up to you," said Barry. If Caitlin didn't feel up to it, he was completely willing to stand by that decision.

"It would be nice. A way to try and get back to normal at least," muttered Caitlin.

"It won't be many people!" Cisco quickly piped up, excited that his best friend was willing to leave the lab despite what she had gone through. "Just you guys, me, Joe, Iris, Wally, Henry, Harry, Jesse, Dr McGee, actually that is quite a few…" trailed Cisco off, worried now he might have scared Caitlin enough to change her mind.

"That's fine," she said quickly, knowing when Cisco got concerned. He nodded and headed out of the room.

"In that case, you should rest until we head off tonight," Barry said, turning back to Caitlin, and gripping her hands.

"I don't need any more sleep Barry," replied Caitlin, shaking a slightly disapproving head at him. Barry was going to have to be careful that he didn't come off as too controlling with her. After what she had just been through, Caitlin didn't need that right now.

"Well then how about I go get us some food and we talk? I think there is a lot for both of us to say to each other," suggested Barry, and Caitlin nodded. Barry darted out briefly, and brought Cisco back into the room to keep her company.

"Something tells me Barry doesn't want you left alone," said Cisco, moving across to sit on the seat by the bed.

"Why do I get the feeling he is going to be very protective of me?" replied Caitlin. Cisco smiled at her.

"Barry cares about you, so do the rest of us. And we all want to keep you safe after everything you have been through. Besides, if you are going to date a superhero, I think overprotectiveness is going to come with it," Cisco said, making her laugh for the first time in days.

"Thank you Cisco," muttered Caitlin, leaning into him for a hug. After the particle explosion, it had been the three of them, her, Cisco and Dr Wells. Three scientific minds whose entire lives work had blown up. She and Cisco had become like siblings, thicker than thieves. Caitlin wouldn't have survived losing Ronnie without him. Then Dr Wells' true identity had been revealed, and it had only pulled them closer.

"Listen, I know you probably don't want to talk about what happened with him," started Cisco, careful to avoid Zoom's name. "But I want you to know, when you are ready, I'm here," he finished.

"I never knew what version of him was going to come see me," started Caitlin, deciding that the sooner she talked about it, the quicker she could hopefully recover. "Some days, all he would be was sweet, considerate. Be the Jay I had known before. Other times his rage would take control. And every time he touched me, every time he kissed me, he was just showing control, proving he was the prison guard and I was his prize," she continued, determined not to break down right now. She needed to talk about this, she needed to get it off her chest. And if she told Barry, it would only drive him to wanting revenge more. Cisco could understand, and be there to support her.

"I'm so sorry Caitlin," Cisco whispered, grabbing her hand to support her.

"But I always tried to fight back, to beat him. Because I couldn't give everything to him. He took my sanity, he took my friends from me, and he took Barry from me. I couldn't let him win," she whispered.

"You didn't," said Cisco quickly. "You survived, and you are home now. I know none of us can begin to know what you went through, but we all are here to support you," promised Cisco. He paused for a moment, and Caitlin knew he was hesitating to ask something.

"Go on Cisco, I know you well enough to know when you want to ask me something," said Caitlin.

"I heard what you said to Barry," he spluttered out. "And I know why you didn't tell him beforehand. But Caitlin, I just want you to know, I'm here to help support you guys," he added, and Caitlin smiled.

"I love you Cisco," she said, throwing her arms around him.

"Should I be worried?" they heard a voice ask, and Barry stood in the doorway, a shopping bag in hand.

"Hey man, don't worry. Caitlin is too much my sister for anything like that," he replied, pulling away, and holding his hands up in surrender. "Besides, I have work to get back to," Cisco added, racing out the room. Barry had actually scared him slightly, and it was kind of funny.

"You didn't need to scare him," scolded Caitlin.

"Hey, I just got you back. I'm not risking it," replied Barry, a cheeky smile on his face. Talking to Cisco had made her feel so much better, it was all out there, and some one knew what she had been through. And it had allowed her to start to heal. It wasn't going to be quick, but it was better to start. Barry sat down on the bed beside her, pulling out a massive tub of chocolate chip ice cream and two spoons. "Figured if we were going to talk, we should at least do it over a tub of sugar," Barry said, prying the lid off and passing her a spoon. Barry took the first bite, shoving the largest spoonful of ice cream Caitlin had ever seen into his mouth.

"So what did you want to talk about?" asked Caitlin, grabbing a significantly smaller amount. The ice cream was just the comfort food she needed right now.

"If you don't want to, I get it. But I kind of wanted to ask you about what happened with him," said Barry, also avoiding Zoom's name. Of course he wanted to know the truth, what had happened to her. He wanted to know what she had been through, so he could help her.

"I was a prisoner, a subject under the rule of Zoom," she said, using his name for the first time in so long. "He manipulated my surroundings, my environment, tried to get me to submit to him. He wanted me to love him, to rule by his side. But even when he broke me, I wasn't going to give in to him. Because that monster wasn't going to win, no matter what he did to me. I used everything I had to fight him," Caitlin said, not wanting to go into any more details than that. Talking about it with both Barry and Cisco, it was dredging the memories too close to the surface. She didn't want to remember exactly what she had gone through.

"I am so sorry," muttered Barry, pulling Caitlin into his arms. She folded into them, but she kept herself from crying. If she was going to fight her way back from this, she needed to stop letting the thought of him win.

"The only time I completely broke, was when he told me you had died," whispered Caitlin, looking up at Barry.

"I kind of was," he replied, and Caitlin raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "After Zoom came back to this earth, Harry thought of a way to try and get me my powers back. But when the particle accelerator hit me, I disintegrated. Everyone thought I was dead, gone. I guess Zoom saw my suit, all broken. But I didn't die, I was in the speed force," continued Barry.

"What?" yelled Caitlin.

"The speed force, it turns out it is almost sentient. I was stuck in there, I saw things, and when I came out, I had my speed back," Barry finished. He knew Caitlin would want more specific details later, but for now that was enough. "I saw you," he added, and he raised a hand gently to her cheek. "The speed force, it took your form. Because it knew how much I loved you, how much I cared for you. And seeing you in there, it made me miss you all the more out here. All I wanted was to find you, rescue you, hold you in my arms and tell you how much I love you," Barry finished, kissing her cheek.

"Barry," whispered Caitlin, a tear running down her cheek. He quickly wiped it away.

"I know that what you went through will be a challenge to overcome. But you need to know, I will always protect you, I will always come for you. Because I love you," said Barry, and Caitlin felt herself smile with true happiness. Barry was going to be the reason she survived this ordeal, and Cisco was going to be there to help.

"Guys!" they heard Cisco yell, and they both turned to the door. "If we want to make it to dinner on time, we should probably leave soon. Unless you plan on speeding over there," he finished. Barry decided it was probably best for them to drive.

"We will be out in a second," he replied, quickly digging his way to the bottom of the ice cream container. He couldn't let it go to waste after all. He left a single spoonful in the bottom, ready for Caitlin to finish. She grabbed her spoon and scooped it up.

"I love you Barry," she whispered, and it made him smile. No matter how many times he heard it, it would always make him happy beyond belief.

"We have a dinner to get to," he replied, gently kissing her on the lips. He was going to take it slow, because that was what Caitlin needed right now. They both stood up, Caitlin managing a lot better now. The IV and food had given her system a reboot, helped her get strength back. They all loaded into the S.T.A.R. labs van, cranking the radio instead of talking. They just needed quiet for now. Especially Caitlin, it was slightly daunting thinking of what she was about to face.

"If you don't want to go, we don't have to," said Barry as they pulled up in front of the house. "I can take you back to S.T.A.R labs," he added. Caitlin thought about it, but shook her head.

"No, this is where I need to be. I need to battle through this, and I need to be around the people who love and support me," Caitlin replied, and Barry smiled.

"I'll be by your side the entire time," he quickly responded, and Cisco nodded in agreement. They walked in, and Joe greeted them.

"Just in time for food," he said, as Barry took Caitlin's coat from her, trying to be every part the gentleman that Caitlin deserved. Barry looked to see his father and Dr McGee sitting together on the couch, and they looked very close. Wally and Jesse were already standing by the table, and everyone else slowly started to gather round, Barry holding Caitlin's hand tightly.

"Taking down a city of monsters makes a man hungry," said Cisco, his stomach taking control of his mind. It made Caitlin smile to see everyone there, especially because most of them knew what she had been through and were there to support her.

"First," said Joe, handing her a champagne glass. Caitlin wasn't sur if the alcohol was a good idea though. "A toast, to family," said Joe, pointing his galss around the room.

"To family," everyone repeated, Barry looking directly at Caitlin.

"That's my kind of toast, short and sweet, let's eat," said Cisco, taking a large sip from his glass. Joe laughed. Then Cisco's eyes went wide and he froze.

"Cisco," said Barry quickly, knowing exactly what had happened. "What, what is it?" he asked, putting his glass down on the table. "What'd you see?" he asked. Wally quickly looked between the two extremely confused.

"What do you mean see?" he asked. Caitlin was the first to respond.

"Cisco gets visions," she muttered, looking at Cisco, worried for her friend. There was such a look of terror on his face.

"I don't understand," Cisco muttered, glancing around the room.

"What Cisco?" asked Joe. Everyone knew that whatever he saw had him spooked.

"Earth 2 splitting in half, straight down through the poles. Tell me I didn't just vibe the future," said Cisco, who was beginning to completely freak out. "Please tell me I did not just see the end of the world," he finished, and then the room froze as blue lighting raced in. Caitlin quickly stumbled backwards, seeing Zoom almost broke her on the spot. Zoom had his arm keeping Henry close to him. Barry didn't move, not wanting to risk him doing anything to hurt his father.

"Our story continues Flash," snarled Zoom, racing out the room.

"Take me with you!" screamed Caitlin at Barry before he could race out of the room. Barry was just about to protest before she shut him down. "Take me with you!" she screamed once more, gripping tightly onto his arm. The best chance to stop Zoom was to use his one weakness against him, taking Caitlin made sense. But that put her in harm's way. But there was also no way she was letting go of his arm. He pulled her tight into his arms and they both raced after Zoom. They pulled up outside Barry's old home. He quickly stepped in.

"Dad? Dad?" asked Barry stepping into the lounge. Caitlin hovered behind him, just out of Zoom's eye line. He stood in the lounge, Jay with his hood pulled down.

"It's poetic, returning to your childhood home," Jay said, his face filled with anger, cold and upset.

"Jay, don't do this. Alright I am begging you, I am begging you, take me. Kill me!" Barry screamed.

"No!" screamed Henry. He did not want his son to die for him.

"You still won't believe me that you and I are the same," Zoom continued.

"Barry look at me son, look at me," said Henry, trying to keep his son from making a mistake.

"So I'm going to have to make you believe me," interrupted Zoom, his tone getting louder and angrier. Barry looked like he might break down.

"Whatever happens, you have made me the happiest father," said Henry.

"Dad," whispered Barry, and Caitlin stepped out.

"You shouldn't have brought her with you," snarled Zoom, looking straight at her. The look said everything, the stare possessive and controlling. "Now you will lose your father and her," he spat.

"Please," begged Caitlin, stepping in front of Barry who tried to hold her back. Zoom stumbled slightly, enough so that he let Henry go. He was still easily within an arm's reach, close enough that Barry couldn't make a move without putting his father and Caitlin's lives at risk. "Hunter, please, don't kill him. You have caused so much pain, you don't need to do this," she continued, and Zoom smiled.

"You haven't even seen me cause pain yet," he spat, staring directly at Caitlin. He then looked to Henry, and Caitlin felt all the hatred she felt for Zoom bubble inside of her, boil to the surface. He had caused her so much pain, caused those she loved so much pain. He had taken Barry's speed, almost taken Barry's life. He wasn't going to take anything else from Barry, he wasn't going to hurt anyone else she cared about.

"I can't let you," whispered Caitlin, raising her hand towards Zoom.

Before he could react, an icicle had gone through his heart, something even he couldn't heal from. He fell to the ground, and looked up at her. Caitlin's hands began to shake, as the coldness hovered around her.

"I knew there was that darkness," Zoom whispered, a smile on his face, before he took his last breath. Caitlin stumbled back from him, looking up at Barry.

"You killed him," Barry whispered, taking a step towards Caitlin.

"Stay back!" she yelled her voice echoing in the house.

"It's okay," whispered Barry. All trace of the coldness had left the air.

"No, I might hurt you," she whispered, turning and racing for the door. Caitlin couldn't risk that, what if she hurt Barry? Coldness was his weakness, she couldn't risk that.

"Go after her son," said Henry quickly. "I'll call your friends and let them know what has happened," he added, and Barry smiled.

"Thank you dad," he said, quickly racing over to give him a hug. His dad had almost died, Caitlin had saved his dad's life. She may have Killer Frost's powers, but that didn't make her a villain. And it didn't mean he loved her any less. Barry quickly raced out, though it was never going to take long for a speedster to catch up to someone.

"Barry, you need to leave me alone," said Caitlin, stumbling away from him. Barry looked at her and he felt so helpless. Her ordeal with Zoom hadn't been enough? Now there was this to deal with.

"Caitlin listen to me," Barry said, speeding over and grabbing her hands. "I am going nowhere, I promised you I would always be here for you and I will be," he whispered, pulling her tight into his arms. She started shaking and crying.

"Barry, I don't know, I don't know," Caitlin started, and Barry held her tighter.

"I'm here, Cait, I'm here."

 **An extra long chapter! So from this point onward the story is diverting from the TV show. Thank you for all the reviews, they keep me writing!**


	9. Chapter Eight

Barry had wanted Caitlin to rest, go home and sleep je thought that after everything she had been through, that was the least she deserved. Instead Caitlin had demanded that he lock her up in the pipeline. He thought about fighting her on it, but he knew better.

"You don't need to do this to yourself," said Barry, as Caitlin unclasped herself from him. She walked over to the pipeline entrance, entering a code to bring an empty cell down.

"Barry, I could hurt you, I could hurt Cisco, I could hurt anyone. I am not taking the chance," she spluttered, she clearly wasn't thinking straight, and that could lead to dangerous decisions. The cell arrived and she stepped in. "Close the door Barry," she said, turning around to face him. Barry hesitated. Caitlin knew Barry didn't want to do it, and she didn't want to be locked into the cell. But it was the only way to keep her friends safe. "Barry, either you close this cell up now, or I am leaving this city," Caitlin swore. Barry needed to put aside his feelings for her right now and do the right thing. She heard him mutter something under his breath as he closed the cell up. "You should go tell the others what is happening," said Caitlin.

"I am going nowhere," said Barry, sitting down on the other side of the glass. If she was staying locked up, then he was staying right beside her.

"Barry I killed him," spluttered Caitlin, breaking down into tears and falling to the ground. It took every bit of strength for Barry not to open that cell up and pull her into his arms, but he knew Caitlin would hate him doing that. He would trust her for now, and play by her rules.

"Don't you dare think for one moment he didn't deserve exactly what happened to him. That monster deserved to die," said Barry, anger seeping into his words. Even in death, Zoom was tormenting Caitlin.

"I ran a test to make sure I didn't have the metahumans gene, and I didn't. I can't have powers, it isn't possible," said Caitlin, unable to keep her thoughts straight. It pained her to linger over what she did. Right now, she had to let her mind work through this process. And Barry had to listen.

"You may have developed it after the test. Or maybe they were completely dormant in your system," replied Barry, knowing that something was off with it. Why had her powers never appeared before?

"Barry, I, I," she started, lifting her hand up to her face. "I don't know how I did that," she muttered. "I just felt such hate, such anger in my body. I couldn't let him hurt anyone else, I had to kill him, I didn't have a choice," she said, leaning her head back against the cell wall.

"Hold onto that," whispered Barry. "Killing someone, even a monster like Zoom, it changes you. You spend hours sitting there, wondering if you did the right thing, wanting to change your choice. But once you get over that initial shock, you start to realise that there was a reason you did what you did. You learn to live with the guilt because at the end of the day it was the only decision you could make," Barry continued, looking at Caitlin. Taking someone's life, it changed you, and Caitlin had never killed anyone with her own hands before. She was staring at him, a slightly blank look in her eyes. He knew that look. She was reliving the moment where she had pushed the icicle into him.

"I saw the life go from his eyes," she muttered.

"No. That monster lost all life long ago," Barry quickly replied. Caitlin should feel no remorse for her actions. He understood why she did, but Zoom was not worthy of that from her. He watched Caitlin shift slightly, waiting to see that blank look leave her eyes. It remained. He heard the footsteps thundering down into the room, figuring at least Cisco, Harry and Jesse would be there. He didn't expect every single person from the dinner to come through the door, including Wally.

And then Barry clicked, Wally now knew who he was.

"Barry, why the hell did you put her in there!" yelled Cisco, racing over to the control panel to let he out.

"Cisco, don't," said Caitlin quickly, standing up. "I put myself in here, and you will not open that door up," said Caitlin, glaring at Cisco with all the force she could muster.

"I'm sorry, but that stare isn't enough to stop me," said Cisco, quickly clicking the button to open it up. Caitlin shrunk back to the world, sticking her hands tight behind her back. She couldn't risk hurting them, she just couldn't.

"Cisco," muttered Barry, putting a reminder in his head to both thank and slap Cisco later. "Listen, I know you are scared you might hurt us, but I know you Cait. There is nothing that could happen that would ever make you hurt us, hurt me. You need to trust me Cait, like I trust you," Barry whispered, stepping into the cell with her.

"Dad, what did you tell them?" asked Barry, looking over his shoulder to see his dad standing by Doctor McGee.

"That Caitlin killed Zoom. Nothing more, nothing less," Henry replied, and Barry smiled at him. His father was always considerate, and knew it was Caitlin's decision when to tell them the truth.

"Dr Snow, I think we would all love to know how you managed to defeat Zoom. And it might enlightened us as to why you are in the pipeline," said Harry, before Jesse slightly punched him.

"We can talk to them later," whispered Barry, reaching for her shoulder.

"I killed him," whispered Caitlin, and everyone fell dead silent. "He was going to kill Henry, and then take me away with him, and I just felt such hatred, such anger. And I killed him," she muttered, her voice echoing around the room. "I shoved an icicle straight through his heart," she added, not baring to look up. Cisco stumbled slightly, needing to lean back against the wall for support. Barry moved himself to be between her and all the shocked looks coming from behind him. Caitlin didn't need that. He didn't blame his family and friends for it, most knew the consequences of her actions and the Killer Frost implication that came with them. Tears began to edge their way out of Caitlin's eyes, and Barry couldn't take it anymore. He wrapped his arms tight around her, not caring what she thought she might do to him.

"Caitlin, it's okay," said Cisco, composing himself. "We are here, we can help you," he continued, as Caitlin felt her hands shake.

"No…" she whispered. "No!" she yelled, backing away from Barry and running towards the doorway. The only issue was that Joe and Henry both quickly moved to block her only exit.

"Caitlin, running away won't help," said Henry, making it clear that neither he nor Joe was going to move.

"I can't stay. I can't risk hurting you. I know what you are all thinking," rambled Caitlin, looking down at her hands as they continued to shake. Every time they moved she was worried an icicle was going to shoot out, hurt or even worse kill one of them. "You know who Killer Frost was. And I can't risk becoming her, risk hurting all of you," she continued, turning her back towards the room. She couldn't see their faces. Most who knew the truth about her doppelganger were trying to stay composed, but she could feel the fear emanating from beneath that. Barry started to move towards her, taking each step very slowly.

"Cait, you are not Killer Frost," he said, raising his hand towards her. "We love you, and we will help you with this. But you have to let us help," he continued, stepping even closer.

"You need," started Caitlin, feeling the pressure build inside of her, the worry that she might hurt them. "To stay away from me!" she yelled, turning around and flinging her hands out towards Barry. By the time they were in the air, she realised what she had done too late. The room slowed around her.

She waited for the icicle to soar towards Barry and strike him down as it had Zoom. Waited to cause the death of the man she loved.

But no icicle came.

Instead suddenly a torrent of water rushed through the air, striking Barry directly in the chest, sending him flying back against the pipeline wall. The water kept coming, and Caitlin realised she still had her arms up. She quickly lowered them and the water came to a halt. "What?" she whispered, looking down at her hands, watching water drops quickly disappear from her hands. Barry slowly stood up, his shirt and pants entirely drenched, wet hair falling down over his forehead. "Barry, I, I," started Caitlin trying to apologize. Instead he crossed the room and embraced her in a tight hug. Then, in possibly the most awkward event they had ever seen, Barry passionately kissed her on the lips. Joe and Henry were both quick to look away, followed soon by everyone else. It was Cisco who tried to break it up.

"Um," he coughed, as Barry pulled away from her. He ignored everyone else in the room in that moment.

"Listen to me Cait," he started, grabbing a tight hold of her hands, and pulling them up to his chest. "You are not Killer Frost. She had no love in her life, no warmth. But you are loved, and we will help you through every step of this, but you have to let us help you through this. Cait, trust us to love you," he whispered, pressing his lips lightly to hers.

"But if I hurt you," she muttered, staring straight into Barry's eyes.

"You can't. Look what just happened. If that had been ice, I would already be dead. But you cannot hurt me, which is why it was water that rushed at me. You Dr Caitlin Snow care too much about all of us to ever let yourself hurt us. I trust you, but you need to trust in yourself," he whispered back, and she let him pull her into a tight hug.

"We still need to understand what has happened to me," Caitlin said, her scientist side kicking in. It was just something else to distract her from the reality of her powers and killing Zoom. She was going to have to face both of those, but for now, Barry was happy for her to be distracted. "Jesse," Caitlin said, inching away from Barry but keeping her arms tightly folded. "Can you help me run some tests?" she asked, and Jesse quickly nodded.

"I'll help," added Harry, partially wanting to keep an eye on his daughter and make sure she was safe around Caitlin. But more so because he had come to care a lot for this team, and he wanted to help Caitlin understand what was happening to her. Joe and Henry remained in the doorway.

"If I promise not to leave S.T.A.R labs," Caitlin started, looking up at the two of them. "Will you move from the doorway?' she asked, and Joe and Henry looked at each other. Henry stepped down towards Caitlin and pulled her into a very tight hug.

"Caitlin, no matter what you think, you saved my life tonight. You saved my son from having to watch another parent die before him. I will never be able to thank you enough," he whispered in her ear, and Caitlin felt a real smile spread across her face. Henry meant so much to Barry, and that meant he mattered to her as well. Henry smiled at the woman in his arms, he was so happy that his son had someone like her in his life. They both could understand each other, better than almost anyone else could. They both were now beginning to understand the burdens these powers provided, they both had faced adversity and killed. But above all else, Henry was so happy that his son had found true love. Caitlin headed out of the room with Jesse and Harry, off to the lab to run who knows what tests. Barry started to follow, but Joe quickly held him back.

"Barry," he started, making sure he had his full attention. "I sent a squad to your old house to secure Zoom's body. They will bring it here as soon as possible. But I will need an explanation for this, the chief will know that it must have been a metahuman. What do you want me to say?" Joe asked, and Barry looked at Cisco.

"It was a metahuman, one who we should all be extremely grateful for, but one that will probably never be seen again," Barry muttered back, and Joe nodded. He and everyone else left the room leaving Cisco and Barry standing there still.

"Barry, we have to help her," said Cisco. Caitlin was his best friend, and he would be damned if he didn't do everything he could to help her.

"I know, and I am beginning to develop a theory," replied Barry and Cisco nodded for him to continue. "She only could develop that icicle when she felt complete hatred, and complete fear. Killer Frost was a frigid bitch, she was almost completely heartless. But when Caitlin just used her powers, it was water. Maybe, maybe it is emotions that drive her powers. When she feels hatred that is when the ice occurs. But with love, it turns it to water. I know it sounds cheesy," continued Barry and Cisco laughed.

"It may be cheesy, but it is definitely plausible," he replied, before heading out to the exit.

"Where are you going?" asked Barry, and Cisco turned back to face him.

"I am going to do the best thing that I can for Caitlin. I am going to come up with a kick ass name for her and start planning her suit. Just in case, you know, we end up having another superhero on the team….."

 **Hey! Sorry for the long wait for the update, university has me chaotically busy (curse you law!). I am going to try to update the next chapter a lot faster, but I would love to hear from you guys what you think could work as a good name for Caitlin! Thanks for reading and reviewing and being so patient with this update. I really appreciate it.**


	10. Chapter Nine

By the time Harry had run all his tests, Caitlin was almost asleep where she stood. Barry had steered clear of the lab while the tests were being run. He knew if he saw the suffering Caitlin was trying to hide, he would run her right out of there and keep her away from this world for a while. Instead he found himself on the treadmill, running to keep himself distracted. When running no longer worked, he jumped off, walking towards Cisco's lab. Then he had received the all clear from Harry to come get Caitlin. He sped across to where she was, just as Jesse was making her last notes. Harry's daughter was just as intelligent as he was, if not more so. Barry looked forward to the day when she surpassed him, purely to see the look on Harry's face. Jesse walked straight pass Barry, pausing briefly beside him.

"If you do not make sure that she gets sleep, I will kill you myself Barry Allen," she whispered, looking at him dead in the eyes. Barry was actually scared, and all he could muster was a nod. When she had left, Caitlin pulled a patch from her arm, what it measured, he had no idea.

"I'm okay Barry," said Caitlin, filling the silence between the two. Barry looked at her eyes. She was drained, completely and utterly drained. Everything she had was gone.

"No you aren't," he said, wrapping her tight into his arms. Caitlin raised her arms weakly against his back, trying to reciprocate the hug, but she had no strength to. Barry wanted to leave with her for a while, find somewhere with no metahumans, and just be free. It was all he wanted for them.

"Would you take me home Barry?" Caitlin whispered. Barry nodded.

"Are you okay if I run you home?" he asked and Caitlin nodded. He picked her up gently, holding her even more tightly. She gripped around his neck and then they raced off. Barry slowed down when they reached the door to her apartment, gently lowering her to the ground.

"I remember that used to make me feel sick," Caitlin muttered as she undid the door. "Since when did I get used to being carried by a speedster," she continued stepping into the apartment. She hadn't been here since Zoom had taken her. Everything was eerily the same and undisturbed. Barry stepped in behind her, the door closing with barely a sound. Caitlin walked silently from room to room.

" _Jay," whispered Caitlin, curled up on the couch in front of the television with him. He looked down at her. "Have you thought about returning to your world?" she asked, her eyes making it clear what she meant. She was asking if he planned to leave this world, and her. Jay sighed._

" _In that world, all I really had was the Flash. It was what I got out of bed for, and the only thing pushing me. And now I don't have the Flash, I don't have my speed," said Jay, gripping her hand tightly. "There is nothing left for me there. Everything I care about, everyone I care about is here. Cait, I am here and I will be here for you," he swore, looking into her eyes. Caitlin smiled. She cared about Jay, she knew that. And the idea of losing someone else she cared about would have been too much to handle. He leaned down and kissed her._

Barry looked at Caitlin staring at the couch and he knew what she was seeing. Something involving Jay, involving Zoom. He wanted to reach out to her, but he knew that right now, it was best he gave her a bit of distance. When she snapped out of it, she turned to Barry and folded herself into his arms. He quickly gripped her tight, wanting to provide her all the comfort he could.

"Barry," whispered Caitlin, looking up at him, her eyes beginning to water. "We need to, we need to talk," she said, and he nodded, slowly shifting with her into the bedroom to sit on her bed. Barry knew they needed to talk about what was between them.

"I love you Cait, I want to make that clear to you," said Barry placing his hand gently on her cheek.

"I could hurt you Barry. Even if I don't mean to, I don't know if I can control my powers. And the cold can kill you," she whispered.

"Cait, I could hurt you. Imagine if I lost control of my speed, my hand could phase through you and kill you. But I trust myself and my feelings for you that I could never hurt you. I know, you only just got your powers and you are still I shock. I understand you can't trust yourself yet. But Cait, I trust you," said Barry tilting her head up to his. She smiled.

"Barry," whispered Caitlin. "I don't want to hurt any of you," she said, starting to cry, and falling into his arms.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, feeling her nod against his chest. "Well then I need you to believe me when I say I trust you. When I first got my powers, I had faith that you and Cisco would be there. Now it is my turn to be there for you," he said, kissing her gently on the cheek.

"You have to promise me Barry. If I do become her, if I become Killer Frost, you have to promise you will stop me," Caitlin said. Barry looked down at her. He knew he would never kill her, he never would be able to. But he would capture her if needed.

"I promise," he said. "But I will never need to, because together we will work through this," he replied.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked. Caitlin hated the idea of being alone. She worried that darkness would take her over, she would find images of Zoom and Killer Frost.

"Cait, I will not leave you, I promise," he said, pulling her tighter against him. They both felt like after everything they had been through, spending time together was what they needed to do. They both shifted under the covers, Caitlin pulling herself tight into Barry's arms, curling up against his chest. Barry kept his eyes open, watching the woman he loved slowly drift off to sleep in his arms. It was only then that Barry let himself drift off as well.

" _Barry!" Caitlin screamed, engulfed in a tornado of blue lightning. She lay on the ground, exactly as his mother had done when the Reverse Flash had killed her._

" _Caitlin!" he screamed back. The lightning stopped as Zoom grabbed a tight hold of Caitlin by her shoulders, his mask staring at her with such possession._

" _You have failed Flash," he snarled, griping her even tighter, and she screamed out._

" _Barry, run, please run," she pleaded with him, Zoom pulling her even closer._

" _Run away Flash," spat Zoom, pulling his mask from his face. It was hard to believe that he had ever considered Jay a friend. "Run away like the coward you are," said Hunter, a wicked smile on his face. Barry moved slightly, and Hunter quickly grabbed Caitlin by her neck, one move and she would be dead. "Don't you see Barry. You have failed her, just like you failed your mother," said Hunter, shifting his other hand so that it pulled Caitlin's face towards him. With the grip around her neck and her face, Caitlin couldn't move, there was no way for her to escape._

" _Let her go, please Hunter," begged Barry. He smirked, ignoring Barry's request, shifting his face towards Caitlin's and capturing her lips with his. When he pulled back from her, he smiled at Barry, before phasing his hand through Caitlin's chest._

" _Barry," she spluttered, before falling to the ground, all life having left her body._

" _You will lose her Barry. We will take her from you," said Hunter, his voice echoing in the room. He ran out as Barry slowly moved towards Caitlin. He sat down beside her, picking up her head so it rested in his lap. The tears started to roll down his cheeks._

" _I failed you Cait, I am so sorry," he spluttered. Suddenly her eyes burst open._

Barry sat up in the bed, sucking in air quickly. Barry was used to nightmares. He had suffered from them even when he was younger, seeing his mother killed would do that to a kid. He couldn't count the number of times his head had replayed that night, watched his mother die at the hands of Reverse Flash again and again. But for a while he had been able to sleep peacefully. It seemed now though, that after everything Zoom had put him through, he was back to nightmares, back to the hell that would await every night. He quickly looked beside him, worried he had disturbed Caitlin, but she wasn't there. Barry raced out of bed, worried for her.

"Barry," he heard a voice splutter, sounding out of breath. He raced over to the sound, and froze.

Caitlin lay there, coughing and struggling to breathe. Blood was pouring out from multiple holes in her chest.

"No," he muttered, leaning down beside her, completely in shock. "I need to call an ambulance, call Cisco, get help," he said, his hands hovering over the wounds.

"Barry," said Caitlin taking a deep breath, trying to slow her breathing. "I'm a doctor, I know I can't survive this much blood loss," she said, tears inching down her cheeks, even when dying Caitlin was practical.

"Who did this?" he whispered, pulling her head up to rest in his lap.

"Barry, promise me, promise me you will look after yourself," she whispered, knowing that she was about to take her last breath. She couldn't let Barry spiral, not because of her.

"Cait, I can't lose you," whispered Barry, tears beginning to fall down his face as well. "I love you," he said, before completely breaking down.

"Barry, I love you," she whispered, before her coughing started once more.

"I'm going to get you help," said Barry, racing to grab his phone.

"You are so much more than just the Flash," she whispered as Barry came back.

It was too late.

"No," he muttered, kneeling down beside her. But he could see it in her eyes. "No," he said again, stepping back from her. "No!" Barry yelled, his voice echoing for miles around. "I can't lose you too," he said. Barry had lost the two women who mattered the most to him. He had given up so much in his life. What had he ever done to deserve this? He had spent the last couple of years fighting to help a city, protect it. And the only payment he got was seeing the love of his life laying on the ground, murdered. No, it wasn't fair. He deserved more than that, Caitlin deserved more than to die a horrible death. She deserved to live, to be who she could be, to be with him. So Barry did the only thing he could. All this pain, all this suffering, it came from the death of his mother, from the day the Reverse Flash ruined his life and took his childhood from him, his family. Barry ran out of the apartment, running faster than he had ever before. Because he knew what he was running for, he knew who he was running to. Time had taken everything from him, and he was going to take it back. He raced through the speed force, emerging in his house, with the Reverse Flash holding a knife beside his mother, her kneeling on the floor. He raced in, pushing the Reverse Flash to the back of the room.

"You are not going to kill her this time," said Barry, punching the Reverse Flash over and over, before holding him up against the wall. "You are not going to kill her ever again," he said knocking him completely unconscious. He quickly turned, to see another version of him, hiding in the bedroom. The other him looked down at his mom, and smiled, before vanishing. Barry quickly moved down across to his mum.

"No," she said, between tears, begging for her life.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he quickly replied. "Okay?" he added. "I'm not going to hurt you, you are safe," he continued. "You are safe."


End file.
